I Am
by DevyyIsADoll
Summary: NOT ABOUT VAMPIRES! "Prepare yourself, dear sister. When we next meet, we will fight. When we fight, I will kill you." She stood up and started to walk away. "WAIT! How will I find you?" But it was too late. She was gone.
1. Chapter 1

I sat in my room with the phone in my hand. I was trying to build up enough courage to dial the number but it wasn't working for me. I threw the phone down and rolled over. I had to tell him soon. I couldn't keep this secret from him any longer. He was my best friend and he deserved to know. I just didn't know how to tell him...

"What am I thinking? Cassie, you're definitely losing your mind. You can't tell him yet." I grabbed my pillow and hugged it tight when the phone rang. I startled me so much that I had fallen off my bed and was on the ground when I answered.

"H-hello?" I asked, still shaken from the ring.

"Hi, is Cassie there?" the voice on the other line was familiar.

"That's me, who is this?"

"It's Scott," I blinked a few times and cleared my head, "do you have time to talk?"

I nodded my head but apparently he didn't know that so I piped up, "Uhh, y-yea. What's up, Scott?" I blinked again trying to pull myself together.

"Nothing's up. What's wrong with you Cas? You sound scared." He asked with so much concern that it overwhelmed me.

"Hold on," I moved the phone away, took a deep breath, and put the phone back to my ear, "Nothing's wrong. Why'd you call the house phone?"

"I tried calling your cell but you didn't answer. Haha, are you sure you're ok?" I could hear the smile in his voice. Hearing him made me feel warm inside, something I hadn't felt in a long time.

"Yea, I just wasn't expecting the phone to ring." I smiled to myself. I loved talking on the phone to Scott. He had been my best friend since Pre-K and all the way through junior high. We had dated once before and it didn't work out too well so we decided it's best that we remain friends. But, when he talked to me, I still felt a small spark that longed for the past.

"Sorry for calling you so late. Diana took me shopping for clothes... as if I don't already have enough." He laughed and I couldn't help but join in.

"At least she buys you things. Is your dad ever going to ask her to marry him?" Diana was Scott's soon-to-be step mom. At least, that's what his father always says.

"I don't know. But I figured that she's gonna be around forever anyways so I started calling her 'mom' instead of Diana."

"I thought she said that she didn't want you to feel that you had to call her that? Didn't she say that she wanted you to see her as a friend?" Ms. Diana was a really sweet lady. Even though she's in her late 30's she still likes to hang out with Scott and me. I guess you can say she's a teenager stuck in an adults body.

"Yea, but you should have seen the look on her face when I called her mom. She looked so happy." Even though she said she wanted us to think of her as a friend, I'm sure it would have made her extremely happy.

We started talking about random things that didn't really have a meaning. I think that at one point we actually started talking about fish because he had said they saw sushi in the store. Our conversations were always like this. One of us would start talking about something completely random and if it just so happened to trigger a memory, then we'd start talking about that and go from there.

"Hahaha, wow. But of course the fish would fight back, there's no way Mr. Big and Bad Fishy Man would let a squirrel tell him off." he said. We were laughing to the point where we couldn't breathe.

"Wow, Scott. I think we're both on something!" We started laughing again. We were always so lighthearted. Always so happy.

"Oh, hey, Cass. When is your dad coming back?" My dad had gone out of town for his business. At least, that's what we told everyone.

"Oh... uhh, he said that he should be back in about 3 weeks or so." We told each other everything... well, almost everything. There was one thing that I was keeping from him.

Something that I was keeping from everyone.

"Ah, well that's good. Anyway, it's getting really late and I'm getting really tired. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Cass. Are you still coming over?" Every summer we would go and spend the night at each others house for a week at a time.

"Of course! What time is your dad coming to pick me up?"

"Around 12pm or so." I could hear that he was excited. We always had so much fun hanging out with Diana and his dad.

"Ok, I'll see you then. Night Scott! Love ya."

"See you later, Cass. Night, haha, love ya too!"

And then we hung up. I layed in my bed not wanting to be up and about just yet so I started to daydream. I thought about my friends, summer, my family, the beach, and so much more.

But most importantly, I thought about my secret.

I stayed there, not moving, for 2 more hours before I finally got out of bed. It was midnight now and I was starved. I walked out and passed my sister in the hallway.

"Oh, you're awake." she eyed me carefully.

"Yea, what about it?" I raised my eyebrows. There was something she wasn't telling me

"Nothing. Are you hungry?" her eyes met mine and she already knew the answer but I nodded anyway. "Me too, let's go find something." she smiled and motioned for me to follow her. We walked out the door and down the street headed towards the woods. We were nearly halfway there before she froze in place.

"Brianna? What's wrong?" I asked while staring into her blank eyes. She brought up a hand and pointed directly ahead of us. I looked in the direction she was pointing and there was nothing there. "Brianna, what are you pointing at?" I couldn't see anything but the way she was standing and the way her eyes turned so cold so quick gave me a bad feeling.

I wasn't sure what was going on but I could tell that it wasn't good. The atmosphere was tense and I was getting uncomfortable. We weren't alone.

That's when I saw it.

There was a loud thud coming from a few feet in front of us and something clearly was running off into the woods. Walking a bit closer I saw something that unnerved me.

Lying in the middle of the road was our father. He wasn't moving, either. I ran towards him and realized that he was badly injured; He had cuts on his face and all over his body, an open wound on his head, and a fracture in his left leg that was impossible to miss.

"Cassandra..." My father had always called me by my full name. He had refused to call me by anything other than my birth name.

"FATHER! What happened to you? Who did this?" Tears were starting to roll down my face as I held my father in my arms. Something that I had never even imagined doing. He was so weak and helpless... I didn't know what to do in this situation.

"Cassandra, where is your younger sister?" His voice was weak but I could still hear it.

"BRIANNA!" I called for my sister frantically but she didn't answer, "BRIANNA, WHERE ARE YOU?" She had just been standing not ten feet away from us when I ran to our father. I couldn't do this alone. Not now. "Father, she's not here... what do you need me to do? I'll do anything!" I bit my lip and the tears flowed continuously. I had just awakened and I didn't have my full powers just yet. Brianna, even though she was younger than me, awakened 3 years before I had. I wasn't ready for something like this. I wasn't nearly strong enough to carry my father all the way home.

"Listen to me, Cassandra. You're going to have to go get your mother. You're far too weak to carry me and I don't want to put that kind of pressure on you... I'll be fine, just go." His smile was warming but it didn't convince me.

"I WILL NOT leave you!" And with that being said, I scooped my father up and ran home. This speed and strength... it was all new to me. I wasn't sure how I was able to do it, but we made it all the way home in less than a minute. I kicked the door in and called for my mother. She was downstairs and at my side as soon as I placed my father down on the couch. He was safe now... I saved him.

I walked into the bathroom to grab towels and the first aid kit and brought them to my mother. She cleaned his wounds and took care of him as I walked into the other room. That's when the stress and excitement of the moment really hit me. I fell to my knees and began to sob. What would have happened if I couldn't carry him? What if we hadn't found him when we did? Where did Brianna run off to and why?

"Cassie?" My mother called from behind me. I stood up, wiped my tears, and turned to face her. She had blood down the front of her shirt and she was carrying a bloody towel. "Sweetie, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Mom, just a little shaken up. Go and take care of Dad, he really needs it." I was fighting back the tears that threatened to take over. She set the towel down and took my hands in hers. I looked up at her and she smiled at me.

"Cassie... have you forgotten already?" Her smile was mocking, but kind.

"Oh, you're right. We can heal on our own. I'm sorry, it's just... everything happened so fast. Father was so badly injured... Brianna went missing, I was so sc-" She cut me off.

"Brianna went missing?" Her eyes were hard now. I couldn't tell if she was angry or worried but I could tell that she needed to know.

"Yea, I went to help Dad and when I called for her, she was gone." My mother nodded her head and closed her eyes. Mom was special. She could see through anyone's eyes if she tried hard enough. Since we were family, it made it easy for her to see what we were seeing. I walked away, deciding to leave her to work her magick. I sat down next to my father on the sofa and watched him as he breathed in and out.

"You were very brave out there, Cassandra. I didn't think you had it in you." He smiled at me and put a hand on mine.

"Father... tell me: Who did this to you?" I looked down at him with curious eyes.

He sighed and took a deep breath before he finally spoke, "Every so often I go out of town, you know that," I nodded my head and he continued, "I've met some other people out there just like us. I've also met things that not even the otherworld can explain."

I stared at him as he closed his eyes and rose his hand up to my face. His fingers touched my temple and sent thousands of pictures and sounds rushing into my head all at once. I saw what had happened, where he had been, everything that had happened prior to me finding him.

I gasped and he removed his hand. His eyes were still closed and he was concentrating on his wounds. I could see the gash on his head slowly closing up.

"Cassandra, you have to go find your sister. What attacked me is still out there and I have a feeling that Brianna went after it," he opened his eyes and gazed into mine, "You must do this for me. I may be able to heal on my own but it's still going to take me a while. You're a strong girl, I have faith in you." He squeezed my hand and then let go. I nodded and walked to the door, "Cassandra, one more thing."

"Yes?" I turned to see him struggling to look at me.

"Don't you dare go after him." I nodded and made my way outside and back to where we had been standing.

"BRIANNA!" I yelled, hoping to get her attention. I slowly made my way through trees keeping my eyes peeled for any movement around me. I could sense that I wasn't alone but I couldn't tell if it was Brianna or something else...

I had been walking for a good twenty minutes when a low growl came from behind me. I whipped around only to find nothing there. The growl came again, but from a different direction.

"Who's there?" I cried out, looking everywhere. "Brianna! Brianna, where are you!" No answer.

Ten minutes passed and the growl didn't come again. The wind was picking up by now and it was getting far too cold for a summer night. I looked up and searched for the moon. After two minutes I gave up and started walking again.

At this point I had completely forgotten about Scott and our plans for tomorrow. There was no way I'd be ready by noon! I got so caught up in my thoughts that I had to began to lose track of time. I looked up again to look for the moon when I saw a dark figure move across the sky at an amazing pace.

"CASSANDRA!" A voice in the distance screamed my name and I could feel the presence of my sister close by.

"BRIANNA! I'M COMING, DON'T MOVE!" I raced through the trees in the direction of the voice. I came to an open field and found my sister standing in the middle staring up at the sky.

"Brianna! What's wrong?" I grabbed her and tried to get her attention. She continued to stare up at the night sky as if she were looking for something that wasn't there.

"You came too late." She spoke so softly that if I hadn't been paying attention I would have thought it was the wind.

"What do you mean I came too late?" She slowly dropped her head and looked at me, tears building up in her eyes. She fell into my arms and I held her close as she began to cry.

"It was here... I could have killed him but..." Her voice broke as she cried.

"But what, Brianna?"

"He was too quick. He got to me first." She looked up at me with tears running down her face as she moved away and showed me her wounds.

"Oh, Brianna... quickly, climb on my back, I'll take you home." She nodded and did as she was told. Soon we were moving swiftly through the woods and back towards our home. She buried her face in my neck as she continued to cry. I couldn't help but think of the horrible things I wanted to do to whoever hurt my father. His blood will be his punishment.

"MOM! I found her." My mother came and removed her from my arms and started to bring her upstairs. My father was sitting up on the couch and motioned for me to come to him.

"Your mother saw you, Cassandra. She saw the both of you." He smiled at me. My face flushed and I looked down. It wasn't like I had done anything bad, but the thought of my mother watching me as I searched for my sister made me somewhat embarrassed.

"Cassandra?" My father lifted my chin up to face him.

"Yes, father?" He shook his head and laughed to himself then dismissed me to my room.

I sat down on my bed and looked over at the clock. It was nearly 5:30 A.M. now and I groaned thinking about waking up early to get ready to go over to Scott's house. I pulled the covers over my head and rolled over as I drifted to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING CONNECTICUT! It's a beautiful Saturday morning and the time is 9:26 A.M. and it's sunny, sunny, sun-" I slammed my hand down on the snooze button. It was way to early for me to wake up. I have to be at Scott's at 12... I think I can sleep for another 30 minutes.

"Cassandra?" My father walked into my room and sat at the foot of my bed with his hand resting on my leg.

"I don't wanna wake up yet." I whined, hoping that he would just leave and let me sleep. He laughed and shook my leg gently before standing up.

"Alright, but if you don't wanna miss breakfast, I suggest you hop on out of bed." I immediately sat upright remembering that I hadn't eaten last night.

"What's Mom making?"

"Oh, she's not cooking today. I am." With that he winked and left the room. I hopped out of bed and started to get dressed when my stomach growled and I decided to eat first. I walked downstairs and was engulfed with the smell of syrup and bacon. I took my place at the table next to Brianna who was being abnormally quiet. I shrugged it off and waited for my food to be brought to me.

"It smells delicious in here!" My mother walked in from the den smiling and kissing father on the cheek as she made her way to the table, "How did you sleep, Cassie?"

"Oh, don't get me started! I'm so tired that it feels like I'm having one of those... what's the word?"

"Out of body experience?" Brianna finally spoke. She was so quiet this morning. Did it have anything to do with last night?

"Yea, one of those things." I eyed her carefully as she played with her napkin. She's always been pale; we used to think she was albino till she was about three and started growing these beautiful, thick, long chestnut curls. Her forest green eyes darted back and forth as she traced the patterns of the napkin before finally setting it down next to her glass. Her dark curls licked at her face as she looked up to mother to mutter something in agreement. Her hair against her pale complexion made her look other worldly. Then again, everyone in my family is a-

"Ok, everyone, dig in!" My father had passed around the plates without my noticing. Had I really been that out of it?

I took a deep breath and could smell everything he had put in the dish: paprika in the pancakes along with blueberries, honey on the biscuits, and maple syrup on the sausage, and, of course, the overwhelming smell of bacon. He looked so pleased when we started to eat without saying a word. Things continued like that till Brianna stood up; she hadn't touched her food at all. Father looked down at her plate and then up at her with a twitch of disappointment. She bowed her head in respect and dismissed herself from the table. I exchanged glances with my parents and nodded in silent agreement. I placed my napkin down and went up the stairs to find Brianna in her room writing in her journal.

"Brianna? Sweetie, are you ok?" I gently rested my hand on her shoulder and she immediately covered her journal with her arm.

"What do you want? What is it?" She didn't look up at me and her voice didn't shake but I knew she had been crying.

"Sis, we have to talk. I know what happened the other night was pretty dramatic and I understand it must be rough for you but-"

"NO, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED AND YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! GET OUT," she cut me off and with one hand sent me flying into the wall. I dropped to my knees and groaned at the overwhelming pain in my stomach, "Quit pretending like you know everything, Cassandra Elaine Faratheen, not only have you just awakened but you've always been weak. You can't even shift correctly and you're trying to tell ME that you understand!"

"You have no right to call me by my full name, Brianna Linnette Faratheen! I may not be able to shift just yet but you and I both know that I'm better than you in magick and you DON'T want to test me." I got to my feet and stared directly in those breathtaking green eyes. I didn't know what was going on but she was acting strange. She took a step towards me and growled as if she were going to change. Was she really about to fight me? In that moment my father burst through the door and pulled my sister into his arms shouting commands to my mother who was in the hallway.

"Cassandra, go downstairs and let us handle Brianna." He spoke calmly but sternly.

I stormed out of the room and downstairs to the den. I ploped down on the couch only to realize that it was a quarter till noon and I bolted back up the stairs and into my bedroom. I threw on the clothes I had set out that morning and ran a comb through my thick, curly, amber hair before throwing it into a ponytail and grabbing my cell. I wasn't going to bail on Scott simply because my sister had a meltdown. Checking to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything I went back downstairs and out on the porch to wait for Mr. Kane.

"Afternoon, Miss Cassie!" Mr. Kane walked up and pulled me into a warm, familiar hug and ruffled my hair.

"Hey there, Mr. Kane. Would you like to come in for a bit before we head out? I just have to check with my parents about something." I smiled and held the door open for him to walk in.

"So your dad came back early, huh?" He glanced around the living room before sitting down on the recliner.

"Yea, they flew him out here early this morning. Would you like to talk to him?" He grunted a reply and I left to go find my parents.

There was no one in Brianna's room and everything seemed to be, as I liked to call it, "loudly-quiet". I walked down the hallway past my parents room but there was no one there, either. Confused I started to make my way back down the stairs when I heard Mr. Kane and my parents talking.

"Ah, hello there, Mr. Johnson. How have you been doing?" My father politely shook hands with my best friend's dad while giving him one of his dazzling smiles.

"Aw, don't be so formal, Braeden. We've known each other for how long? Eleven years?"

"Oh, I don't keep up with time, Kane." He flashed my mother a smile and she simply shook her head. Mr. Kane noticed and turned to greet my mother as well who had been drying a glass. How could they be acting like this was a normal day? Where was Brianna?

"Corvina! How have you been? Diana told me to tell you hello if I got the chance. She said something about a meeting..." I ignored their chatter and proceeded to go outside and hop in the truck to wait for Scott's dad. Why did my family have to be so... weird? Sure, to any average person we looked like the epitome of an American family. Successful father and a perfect mother with two well-rounded children who always made straight A's. Ok, so we're a step above the typical American family but still, they didn't see what was going on behind the curtains. Life would be so much better if the world knew what we really were... right?

My phone began to vibrate, pulling me out of my internal banter, and I realized that Scott had texted me, "_Let me guess: Dad is tlking to ur 'rents. Lol, cnt wait 2 c u!_" Scott's inability to use proper grammer and spelling while texting always annoyed me. He's always been very literate but the second he starts typing on a phone it's just gone. "_It's official, I'm buying you a dictionary. Parents are talking to your dad but he should be out soon. Can't wait to see you, either!_" I hit send and promptly shoved my phone back in my pocket as the car door opened and we were driving down the road before I could finish my thoughts.

Apart from the occasional small talk the ride was a quiet one. Scott's house wasn't far from mine; I could walk to it if I really wanted to. We lived in a small town right in the middle of Connecticut where everyone knew everyone and everything. The thought that this town was so small and yet no one knew who we truly are made me giggle. Mr. Kane gave me a funny look and I just smiled and continued looking out the window when a huge shadow moved over the car.

"Woah! Did you see that, Cass? Must have been a pretty large bird. Do you see anything?" I turned around to look out the back window but whatever passed over the car was gone by now. I turned back around and continued to stare out the window till we arrived at Scott's house.

I always loved coming to visit. His house was made of bricks with a huge white porch that had potted plants surrounding it, they had a creek in the back with a tireswing and a gazebo that we would eat lunch at.

I jumped out of the truck right as Scott came outside to greet me, "Cass! You made it!" He gave me a huge hug and then carefully eyed me up and down, "What's wrong? You look..."

"Tired?" I offered and he shook his head but didn't say anything else. Did I look upset?

"Hey, dad, we're gonna go set up for the barbeque tonight. Do you need anything in particular for it?"

"Nahh, you two go out and have fun. Diana and I will take care of everything else." His father dismissed us with a smile and left to help with the preparation.

We walked to Scott's room and I threw myself down on his bed. I always used to tease that one day I'd steal it from him and he'd never be able to get it back. I took a deep breath and let the familiar scent of his sheets fill me before rolling over to see him taking his shirt off, "WOAH, what are you doing?" I grabbed a pillow and immediately covered my face with it before he could go any further.

"Cass... we're going to the creek. I JUST told you that." He looked confused when I finally removed the pillow from my face and finally realized that he had on his bathing suit.

I blinked a few times before actually answering, "Oh... sorry, must have zoned out or something. Uh... I don't have anything with me." I looked kind of sheepish and started to twiddle my thumbs.

"Oh, it's alright. You can borrow one of Anna's swimsuits. Lord knows she has hundreds." He laughed before exiting the room.

I eyeballed myself in the mirror. I was in a lime green, polka-dotted bikini that revealed too much for my liking. I was pale and skinny and to top it all off, my chest was larger than his sister's. I looked good, I really did, I just never liked showing a lot of skin. Most of my clothes were kinda loose and I always wore a jacket. Scott's knock at the door interrupted my thoughts and made me jump, "You all done in there?" he called from the hallway.

"Scott," I swung the door open, "there is NO WAY in hell that I'm wearing this." His eyes widened as I gestured to the outfit and proceeded to roll my eyes when he took longer than necessary to see what I meant, "Get me a t-shirt to go over this and maybe some shorts, too."

"You look fine, Cass. It's only gonna be you, me and my parents. No one is gonna see you." I narrowed my eyes and he put his hands up in surrender then left to get me something to cover myself.

We made our way to the creek after I got my t-shirt on. We are about halfway there when he turned to me, "Race you there!" then he took off. I did the same and easily passed him and then jumped into the creek. When I surfaced he was standing at the edge staring at me.

"What?" I spun around to check if there was something behind me but saw nothing.

"Cassie..." he paused and wrinkled his eyebrows, "I've never seen anyone run as fast as that." He cocked his head to the side and continued to look at me.

"Oh, hm... I hadn't realized I was sprinting. Sorry, was anxious to get in the water!" I laughed, nervously and mentally shook myself. I completely forgot that I'm different than other people.

I was hit with a splash before I realized he had jumped in the water. He laughed and stuck his tongue out and splashed some more. I went underwater and reached for his legs, pulling him under. The creek was made by Scott's dad, so the ground was paved over. It was almost like a gigantic pool with clear blue water and artificial lilly's everywhere. When I hung out with Scott it was like nothing else in the world mattered. With him it was as if I weren't a..

"CASSIE! THINK FAST!" I turned only to be hit directly in the middle of my eyes with a volleyball and knocked underwater. I came up and rubbed at my eyes before shouting at him.

"SCOTT! You did that on purpose!" He was sitting on the edge laughing so hard that I could see the tears rolling down his cheeks as he tried to regain composure. I grabbed at the volleyball to try and throw it back at him but the ball went under with my hand and sprung back up, hitting me in the face. Scott was rolling on the ground now laughing even harder than he previously had been. I smirked and gently blew on the water, causing a huge wave to crash onto him and knock him in the water. Yea, I'm not supposed to use magick around people who don't know what I am but it's not like he was looking anyway.

I started laughing when his head popped up above the water and he glared at me. He shook his head and made his way back over to the side to get out, "I'm gonna go help them get set up, Cass! Towells are in the gazebo!"

"Alright! I'll see you in a minute!" I called after him as he walked back up to the house.

I felt it's presence before we made eye contact. Up in the tree that was hanging over the creek was a huge figure that was all too familiar. Realization hit when his bright red eyes bore into mine. I finally was able to really look at him and realize just how huge he really was. He didn't have a shirt on and was crouched down on the branch in front of me. His top lip curled up as he snarled and pointed a very long, very sharp claw directly at me and then howled before disappearing. I was so frozen in fear and so caught up in what I had just witnessed that I hadn't heard Scott trying to get my attention. I swam to the edge of the creek and hopped out, taking the towell from Scott and immediately started for the house. I had to call my dad. I had to tell him what just happened.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're sure of what you saw?" My father spoke calmly into the phone as I sat in Scott's living room. They had just started to eat when I left to use the phone. I absolutely had to tell my father what I saw. Things like that can't go unreported.

"I'm positive; it was the same thing I saw hanging over you last night. There's no mistaking it." I thought back to what I had seen and a shiver ran down my spine but I shook it off.

"Ah, I see. Was he alone or was there someone else?"

"He was alone... why?"

"Of course," he breathed a sigh of relief, "at least she wasn't with him," my eyebrows rose as he spoke, "Brianna took off. We tried to calm her down and she shifted. She went out the window and out into the woods behind the house." I could hear the dispair in his voice.

"I'm coming home." I snapped the phone shut before he could argue with me. I walked outside and announced that something had come up at home and I needed to be there. No one questioned me but instead asked if I would like to bring some food home with me. Scott's family was so refreshing, so... normal. What he had was something I longed for but knew I could never have. I smiled and declined then made my way to Scott's room to gather my things.

"I figured you'd want some company," Scott's voice came from behind me and startled me so bad that I dropped everything, "Oh! I'm sorry! Here, let me get that for you." He leaned down to grab my bag and return it to me, apologizing the entire time. I laughed and took my stuff from him and gave him a hug.

"You're so weird, Scott." I gave him a big smile and he stuck his tongue out at me. He walked me downstairs and to the car where his dad was waiting to take me home.

When I arrived the house seemed normal. For a second I really thought that if I were to walk in my family would be sitting around the T.V. watching old reruns of Whose Line is it Anyway and laughing to their hearts content. Only for a second, though. I shook my head and reality set in. I remembered what was going on and the memory of Brianna's laughter could no longer break through. Tears brimmed my eyes but I blinked them away before I walked through the door. My parents were waiting in the den for me and when I walked through the archway my mother jumped to her feet and went to embrace me. I could tell she was just as upset as my father was but she couldn't hide it like he could. I kissed her on the cheek and went to sit down next to my father who was speaking quietly into the phone. I'd never seen him like this before. His hair was a mess and I could see beads of sweat forming on his brow. Every so often he'd rub his eyes and nod his head then agree with who he was talking to.

I turned to my mother who was pacing by the fireplace. Every once in a while she'd pause and move her hands to her temples - most likely trying to connect with Brianna. All I could do was watch her. I knew that if I were to interrupt her, she'd have to start all over again. I sighed and leaned back against the arm of the couch. I felt so helpless... so useless. There wasn't anything I could do to help find Brianna. I thought back to what happened in the woods. Dark. Trees. Moon. Figure. Scream - that's how I found her. I didn't have any special power to connect with her like my mother. If I could shift I could pick up her scent... but, unfortunately, I couldn't quiet do that yet. So many ideas flooded my head that I hadn't realized the look on my mom's face. It wasn't till my father was on his feet and at her side did I realize she had gone completely pale. Father led her to the recliner and was holding her still when I noticed she was shaking. No words were spoken but my father was seeing what she was. His hands were on her face and they were both staring at one another intently.

Instantaneously my skin started to feel as if it were burning. The searing heat snaked it's way down my back and around my legs. My hands were the worst; it literally felt as if they were being pressed onto white hot coals. The pain was so unbearable and so gut wrenching that I was unable to scream. All I could do was allow my body to curl into itself while the heat seemed to consume me. My vision blurred and I could no longer see the room around me. What I did see, though, changed everything. I was standing in a field, surrounded by blackened ground and scorched trees.

Confused, I whipped around and came face to face with that creature I had seen all too many times now. He definitely wasn't human, that was for sure. His skin was pale beyond belief. His face was smooth and defined. His eyes were no longer that angry red colour I had witnessed earlier, but instead they were a soft brown. His medium length, black hair fell in slight waves around his face making his skin paler than usual. I looked down at his hands and realized that the claws I saw before were no longer there - in fact, his hands were just like mine. His seductive voice echoed in my head and forced me to look him in the eyes.

"_Oh, Cassandra, my dear. It's been so long since we've been together. You do remember, don't you?_" His voice made my skin crawl but at the same time I wished he wouldn't stop.

I cleared my throat. "Who are you?" I hated how small and scared I sounded when speaking to him. I willed for my voice to grow up and allow me to meet his seductive tone with my own.

A small rational voice in the back of my head screamed at me, asking why the hell I would want to sound seductive to a creature that caused my father so much harm...

His laugh rang through my ears and my eyes fluttered shut trying to visualize the sweet sound dancing through my thoughts. "_You're my beloved, Cassandra. We're destined to be together._"

His smile was just as amazing as his laugh. I couldn't help but lean into him even though I knew I shouldn't. I didn't like the control he had over my own body. I stared into those endless brown eyes and all rational thoughts were gone. He leaned down till there was no more than an inch between our lips. I could feel his breath as well as hear it. His scent intoxicated me so much that I thought I was going to faint in his arms.

Wait... in his arms?

I shook my head and looked down. He had his arms snaked around my waist and had closed the space that previously been there. His body was so cold and soft that I completely forgot about the screaming pain that was simmering on my skin. I forced myself to look back to those beautiful brown eyes of his only, they were no longer brown. I attempted to push myself out of his grasp but he had an iron grip and I was unable to get free. I started to panic. He no longer looked like the god he was just moments ago. Instead, he looked like a killing machine. Something cold and hard pressed against my lower back and I realized his hands no longer looked like mine. The claws that had been there this morning were back and they were being pushed into my skin. The pain shooting down my back only intensified the burning sensation that lingered on my skin. His laughter was no longer that beautiful sound I longed for.

I gasped and readied myself to scream when something caught my eye... I glanced to my right and felt sick to my stomach.

"Creighton! What do you think you're doing?" Brianna's words lashed out at me. She looked so different; her once wavy, chestnut locks were straight and as black as the scorched trees behind her. Her eyes were bigger than usual and tinged with red. Was she taller? No, she couldn't be.

"You know this was the plan all along. We were going to lead her here and it worked." His voice wasn't soothing as it had been before. The hardness of his tone matched hers but he sounded more dangerous, more... hostile. Her huge eyes narrowed and she gave him an unspoken warning. His grasp loosened and I took the opportunity to slip out of his arms, but instead of running to Brianna like I had wanted to, I fell to the ground, unable to move.

She didn't even glance in my direction. Her gaze was fixated on the man she had called Creighton. "You know this isn't real, Creighton. You know this isn't her."

That's when she looked at me. I wanted to run to her. I wanted to hold my little sister in my arms and then leave this horrid place. I was so busy focusing on how much I wanted to be out of here that I hadn't seen Creighton move behind me. The movement was quick. With one long, sharp claw he slashed my skin from my hip to my torso. The pain caused a screech to rip from my throat as I dug my nails into the burnt ground.

He sighed. "I know it's just her spirit but I couldn't help myself." I felt him move away from me. The pain from my side was causing my vision to blur. I was sure I was going to die from loss of blood. I forced myself to check out the damage. The cut was long and deep, but... there was no blood? I stared in disbelief while I watched the gash he had just made start to close itself up. I managed to touch my lower back and found no blood there, either.

Her voice snaked in my direction. "Cassandra, you really are terribly weak, aren't you?" She snickered and pushed her hair behind her shoulder.

"Brianna... why?" I stared directly into those huge eyes of hers and for a split second I thought I saw the old Brianna behind them... I thought I saw my little sister. She blinked and whoever she once was vanished. Slowly, she made her way to me and kneeled down to cup my face in her cold hands. The smirk on her face scared me more than the thought of death. This wasn't my Brianna. This was a monster.

"I'm not going to kill you, sister," her eyes were instantly cold and her smirk disappeared, "not yet, at least."

With those final words, the burning stopped. The burned trees and ground around me started to vanish. Creighton was no where to be seen. All that was left was Brianna and myself. She leaned forward till her lips were at my ear and she whispered slowly, making sure I caught every word.

"_Prepare yourself, dear sister. When we next meet, we will fight. When we fight, I will kill you._" She stood up and started to walk away.

"WAIT! How will I find you?" But it was too late. She was gone.

I opened my eyes and gasped for air as the pain from the wounds Creighton had inflicted started to dull. I sat up but the room started spinning so I eased myself back down. My father was at my side in an instant. He cupped my face, much like Brianna did, and stared into my eyes. I blinked in response and I pulled me into a bear hug and I had to bite my tongue to keep from gasping in pain. He moved from my side to make room for my mother who showered me in kisses and repeating over and over that she loved me.

"Oh, Cassandra, are you alright? You've been out for hours, dear. I-I thought I lost you..." Her voice cracked and I could tell she was holding back tears.

"You thought you lost me?" I looked at her quizzically. I was in the same place I had been when the burning first started. My eyes widened and I wondered if I had screamed when Creighton had sliced my skin open.

Creighton...

"Cassandra, you weren't breathing. We heard you gasping for air and then you passed out... are you sure you're alright?" The concern in her eyes was overwhelming and I, myself, had to fight back the tears.

"I'm fine, mother. I didn't know I wasn't breathing... I was having a bad dream." I lied. I didn't want to tell my parents that my younger sister was planning to kill me the next time we met. I didn't want to tell my parents that I was in the arms of the creature that nearly killed my father. They didn't need to know any of that. Strangely, I knew what I had to do.

After about half an hour of calming my parents down and assuring them that I wouldn't die, I left to go to my room. I crawled into my warm, familiar bed and hugged my pillow. The clock on my nightstand read 4 A.M. and I groaned as I thought about how worried Scott must be. I rolled over on my side and let sleep take me away from my worries and thoughts. Tomorrow I would sort out what I would do about Brianna and this man called Creighton. Tommorow I would tell Scott exactly what I am. I couldn't do this alone.


	4. Chapter 4

_I kept running and tried not to look back. I passed the warehouse where I had my first kiss and remembered there was a hidden door that lead to the basement. I threw open the heavy door and tore through the darkness that was in front of me. Once I was well inside, I slowed down to a jog. There was another exit that lead to the river somewhere to the right. Where was it...? _

_The sound behind me jolted my heart. "You're not running fast enough, Cassandra." I could hear the smile in Brianna's voice. Why was she coming after me? What had I done to her?_

_"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shouted into the blackness that surrounded the both of us. She chuckled and I started to feel sick. It wasn't her old joyus laugh that I knew and loved... no, this one was hateful and laced with venom. _

_I stumbled on the door handle and without hesitating, swung the door open so fast that it slammed into the wall and knocked something over. Daylight flooded the warehouse as I started sprinting to the river. I tripped and fell on the gravel in the parking lot that belonged to the gas station next to the river. A hand was extended to me but it was too bright to see who it was. I took it and stood up awkwardly._

_"My beloved, you shouldn't be so careless." Creighton caressed my face and bent to place his lips on mine. For a moment I melted into him. His lips were warm and soft but yet his body was so cold. There was a shriek from behind us and I was torn apart from my Creighton. My Creighton...?_

_Brianna was over me in an instant. "I warned you, sister! I told you I would kill you when we met!" She let out a deafening howl and began to shift. I lifted my arms over my head just before she lunged and slammed into my-_

"NO!" I bolted upright, clutching my chest. It was only a dream... only a dream. I tried to slow down my breathing as I leaned over to turn on the lamp. The clock read 10 A.M. and I groaned. I only had six hours of sleep. What did I have to do today...?

I rested my head against the wall and started making a mental list of everything that had to be done:

One: Read up on mythological creatures and their behaviours.

Two: Search Brianna's room of anything... suspicious.

Three: Look into this Creighton guy and find out how he knows me.

And, finally, tell Scott what I am. I rubbed at my eyes and sighed. I didn't want to tell him. What if he didn't accept me? We've been friends for so long, I don't want to risk losing any of that... Scott was different, right? I'm sure he would understand that my family isn't human and my sister is out to kill me. Yea, he'll be ok with it.

Not.

I stretched and forced myself to get out of bed. Light streamed through my curtains and danced across my skin and I peeked outside. A pebble hit my window and I, of course, screamed like a little girl. Shaking my head, I looked down to the sidewalk in the direction I assumed the pebble came from.

It was Scott. "What are you doing here?" I called from my window. He was waving like an idiot and motioning for me to come outside. I rolled my eyes and tossed the house key out the window. He caught it and before I knew it, was downstairs calling for me.

"I'll be down there in a minute, Scott. Let me get ready and," I looked down at my frog pajamas. I didn't remember changing last night, "throw something decent on." I laughed and went to the bathroom to fix my messy hair and brush my teeth. I looked up in the mirror and kept myself from gasping. Ugh, I looked like crap. My hair was a complete mess, my eyes were all red and puffy - most likely from the nightmare, and I had eye boogers. The longer I stared at my reflection the more my mood depleted.

I splashed water on my face and ran a brush through my hair. I started brushing my teeth when I heard something crash downstairs followed by an apology from Scott. I rolled my eyes and walked to the railing. He had knocked the magazine rack down and was scrambling to pick everything up. I giggled and walked back into the bathroom to finish getting ready. I threw on the first thing I had in my closet and made my way out my room and towards the stairs. I passed Brianna's half-open door and came to a hault. I would have to remind myself to check that out later.

I had that punched-in-the-gut feeling when I remembered that I would have to tell Scott my secret today. Today I had to reveal to him something I had been hiding since I was four years old. I threw on a pair of flip-flops and walked down the stairs to meet Scott, who was munching on an apple.

"So, why are you over here?" I questioned him, getting an apple for myself.

"Well, you had to leave yesterday so I figured I'd come pick you up and we'd go hang out at the mall or something." He took a huge bite of his apple and I laughed as the juice ran down his chin and he nervously wiped at it.

"Wait... YOU came to pick me up? As in you drove here? By yourself?" He looked all proud now, even though he still had traces of apple juice on his chin.

"Scott..." I eyed him carefully.

"Yes?" He was still grinning like a fool and I couldn't help but smile.

"I am NOT getting a car with you behind the wheel." I grabbed a paper towel and wiped what was left of the apple juice off his chin. He rolled his eyes and pulled away and I shrugged.

"Oh, please, Cass. You know I'm a good driver!" He started to imitate driving down the road when he backed into the magazine stand sending it crashing to the floor. Again.

I laughed so hard that tears started to roll down my cheeks. He turned red and started picking them all up as quickly as possible. "Gee, Scott, if you're like this out of the car then I'm sure you should have your license taken away." I continued to giggle as he set them back up and moved to the opposite side of the counter.

He grunted. "Can it, Cass."

I looked at him, sympathetically. "Oh, Scotty, please don't be mad at me! I don't think I could bare it!" I did the dramatic soap opera move and put the back of my hand on my forehead. He broke out into giggles and played along.

"Cassandra, I'm..." he paused, trying to make it as dramatic as possible, "I'm sorry but.. I'm seeing someone else!" He looked away and did a move much like mine and then sarcastically took a bite of his apple. We exploded into laughter and woke my parents up in the process. It wasn't until then that I noticed we were the only ones awake in the house.

I smiled at my mother who was the first one to come down the stairs. She sleepily looked around the room before spotting the two of us. "Oh, hey, Cassie. What time is it?" She rubbed at her eyes as my father walked up behind her and snaked an arm around her waist.

"It's..." I took my phone out of my pocket to check the time, "Quarter after eleven." I looked back up at her and she nodded before leaving to make some coffee. My father walked up and gave me a kiss on the forehead before ruffling my hair. I grimaced, but kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, well, good morning Scott. How have you been?" His eyes weren't even fully open but he was trying to make conversation. Geez, my parents were so... awkward.

I left them to their pointless chit-chat as I slipped up the stairs and into Brianna's room. I just knew there had to be a clue she left behind; a journal, or something...

Quietly, I began to sift through the countless papers she had on her desk: old magazines, unfinished sketches, random articles printed off the internet. Nothing. I snuck across the room and began to look around her bed.

I was just about to give up when I spotted the corner of a notebook sticking out from underneath her pillow. I sat down on her bed and began flipping through the pages. They were dated and signed but all that was in it were pictures. I sighed and continued looking at it. After a few pages I found an actual journal entry.

_May 6th_

_I've been ripping out the pages from here. They contain too much information. He came to my window again last night. This time, though, he wasn't hungry... He told me that he needs my sister. He told me that I have to help him get her. What do I do? The change really started to take effect last night. I can feel myself becoming stronger. The burning sensation in my throat is agonizing, though. I could do without the constant hunger. My family still doesn't know. Tonight's the night. I have to get my sister to the woods. He said he'd be waiting there. Wish me luck?_

_Brianna_

I reread the words over and over. May 6th... that was two days ago... the night I found father in the street with Creighton.

I felt sick to my stomach. She was planning this. She knew about everything. What happened to my sister? I shook my head and continued to turn the page. There was one unfinished entry...

_May 7th _

_Damn it all! I was so close! He was right there and so was she! Why did father have to be there? She even came out in the woods to get me... Why didn't he snatch her then? WHY? He even punished me by taking my blood! When Cassandra showed up I had to pretend I fought him. Heh, as if I would harm My Creighton. I still don't get it, though! The opportunity was righ-_

That was all there was... I knew she stopped when I walked in her room that morning. I wanted to cry. I wanted to just curl up and bawl my eyes out till I couldn't cry anymore. I didn't want to believe what I just read. It just didn't seem right. This was my little sister! The one that I grew up with for thirteen years! She's always been there... always so... amazing.

"Cassie? What are you doing?" Scotts voice came from the doorway, haulting my depressing thoughts. I clutched the notebook to my chest and shook my head before answering him.

"Oh... I just..." I paused. He didn't know. He didn't know Brianna was gone. Most importantly, he didn't know that I was a-

"You were just...?" He prompted. I looked down at the notebook, pressed against my body, and gave him a nervous smile. I knew I had to tell him but I couldn't do it now. Not just yet.

I stood up, still holding Brianna's journal, and walked up to him in the doorway. "Let's go to the mall. I need some fresh air." I gave him my best smile and walked past him, heading towards the front door. We exchanged goodbyes with my parents and finally, we hopped in his dad's truck and left for the mall. I exhaled in a huff and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He looked so focused on the road that I couldn't help but giggle slightly. Geez, Cassie, are you sure you can tell him this?

It felt as if I had been holding my breath the entire ride there. When Scott parked the truck, he turned to me, "Ok, Cass. I KNOW there's something wrong. What's going on with you?"

I bit my lip and closed my eyes. Maybe if I shut them tight enough, all my problems would just fade away. I was wrong.

"Cass?" Scott leaned closer to me and looked me dead in the eye. I could feel myself starting to tear up. He realized and immediately started to fumble around for a kleenex. I laughed, half-heartedly, when he handed me an entire box. I wiped up the few tears that managed to escape and mumbled a quiet thank you.

"Scott... there's something I've been keeping from you." He continued to stare at me with those big blue eyes of his as I kept on talking. "Something I've been keeping from, well, everyone. My family, Scott, we're not like you and your dad. We're different." I could no longer meet his gaze and looked down at Brianna's journal.

"You see... I'm not human." I looked up at this point to see his reaction. He stared at me for a moment before exploding into laughter. He began to shake his head and wiped at his eyes as he continued to laugh.

"Oh, geez, Cassie. You had me worried for a minute! I thought you were serious!" He laughed a little more before returning his gaze to my awestruck expression.

I blinked a few times before answering him. "I am serious." He smiled and ruffled my hair before hopping out the cab. I jumped out and followed him, still holding onto the journal.

"Don't walk away from me, Scott!" He froze. I hadn't meant to sound malicious, I really didn't, but I could tell by his posture that I had startled him. He turned around to face me but didn't move any closer. Scott cocked his head to one side and furrowed his brow. I took a deep, calming breath before continuing.

"Listen to me, Scott. Listen to what I'm trying to tell you. I. Am. Not. Like. You." I searched his eyes for any hint of recongnition. "I am not human."

Scott cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. "Alright, Cass. I'll bite. What exactly are you?"

"Uhm... well..." I slowly met his gaze with as much seriousness as I could, "My entire family... We're something known in the magick world as..."


	5. Chapter 5

**Brianna**

I rested my head on the back of the recliner and let out a sigh. It had been such a long day that I forgot that I hadn't fed in quite some time. I willed myself to get up and walked to the kitchen. Creighton was waiting at the table…

"I thought you were out." He spoke without meeting my eyes.

"Yea? Well, I thought you were out stalking my sister." I rolled my eyes and threw open the fridge. Nothing.

I growled. "Go get me something to eat, Creighton." I slammed the door shut and he winced as jars fell off the shelves. I slouched down across from him and raised an eyebrow when he didn't move.

"You are not my master, Brianna." His gaze was cold but not hostile. He took a breath before continuing, "I do not have to listen to anything you tell me. As a matter of fact, it should be you who is listening to me."

I narrowed my eyes as he spoke. It was true that since he made me stronger, I should be forever in his debt. Anyone would agree to those terms. Anyone but me. I wasn't going to swallow my pride for him. I didn't do it for anyone. I could easily kill him if I put my mind to it.

Creighton stood up from his chair and moved, gracefully, out of the room. I watched him exit before returning to my thoughts.

"_Brianna! Where are you?" _the echo of Cassandra's words ripped through my body like a chilling breeze. My hair stood on end and a shiver ran down my back. I thought of her terrified face as she gazed at our father's beaten body. I thought of the tears that threatened to escape her eyes when I lashed out at her. All these things should have made me upset… and yet, I felt nothing. I couldn't bring myself to care about anyone other than My Creighton.

I scoffed. MY Creighton… How could I possibly call him mine when I treat him the way I do? It's not like he had these feelings for me. He was undoubtedly in love with Cassandra. That lowlife, ungrateful, useless, piece of…

That's when the pain hit… the pain of denying the love I have for my dear sister. That's when the old Brianna took a peek at the real world. My heart began to ache as I thought of the last words I spoke to her. I threatened to take the most precious thing away from her. Why?

The chill of his iron claws crept through my body. I hadn't heard him come in through all my internal babble. I knew he could read my mind. I knew that he had heard what I was thinking and that he realized I was who I used to be.

"Oh, my sweet, why do you think like this? You know it's not what you want." His shark-like teeth nipped at my neck and I began to lose my thoughts. He kissed the small amount of blood that lingered there and everything was forgotten: who I used to be, why I was so upset, and my feelings for Cassandra.

"You know, you shouldn't scold me as you did earlier. You know my love for your sister is true." He tried to seduce me but I was strong enough to resist it.

"Don't you start, Creighton. You know as well as I do that there's no such thing as 'true love'. You're just stalking Cassandra because you're a creep." The pain in his eyes hurt me and I had to fight to take back my insult. It was so hard for me to be hateful toward him.

His arms wrapped around my waist, reminding me of the way he embraced Cassandra.

"Brianna, my dear, what will it take to make you understand my feelings? Maybe with a few years you'll begin to realize my passion for your dear, sweet sister." His eyes began to glaze over as he spoke about her. It was something that I had learned to get used to. I wasn't fond of the fact that he cared for her so much but I couldn't do anything to stop it.

He kissed my forehead and vanished. Most likely, he was going to see Cassandra. The rage that was building up inside me was all too familiar. The mere thought of her made my blood boil.

But she's your sister...

The little voice in the back of my head whispered through my rage and into my heart. I could feel the sting of the pain I had just moments before Creighton brought me to my senses.

Without thinking, I began walking out the door of Creighton's mansion. The sun was bright and the heat of it warmed my body and cleared my thoughts. The only thing I could think of is how beautiful the sun made everything look. All of my worries were put aside as I marveled at the rose bushes that had been planted on both sides of the street.

I started to lose myself in a distant memory…

"_Sissy! Sissy, it hurts!" I cried out, holding my scraped knee to my chest. Cassandra had been helping me ride my first bike with only two wheels. I was going down a hill when the brakes failed and I toppled onto the hot gravel. _

_Cassandra, of course, started to panic because mother and father were in town and we were too far from the house for her to leave me there alone. She held me in her lap and attempted to distract me with tricks that father had taught her. _

"_It's alright, Brianna! See? It's not even…" She paused. I watched as the colour seemed to drain from her face. I glanced down and finally realized what shocked her so much. There was no blood. There wasn't anything. The huge scrape that had been there minutes ago had vanished. No bruise was visible, either. _

_That night, I learned about what I was becoming. _

_Cassandra simply stared in disbelief as my father explained where we came from and who exactly we were. I had been so fascinated by my newfound powers that I requested my father teach me everything there was to know. _

_At first, it didn't occur to me that I was the only one who was changing. Cassie was still Cassie. I watched as she stared at the paper cut she had gotten two days before. It hadn't faded in the least. Disappointment washed over her as she replaced the band-aid and sauntered up the stairs. _

"_Cassie?" I slowly pushed open the door and saw her curled up on her bed. She looked up at me but didn't say a word. All she did was stare. I didn't like it…_

"_Cassie, don't look at me like that." I firmly placed my hands on my hips and waited for her response._

"_I can't help it… Daddy said that I was supposed to be first." I could sense the small amount of hostility in her voice. _

"_Don't blame me because I matured faster than you! Maybe that's YOUR fault!" _

_Her next words are what pushed me all the way. They're what gave me my ultimate power and strength._

"_I don't want you in my room. No freaks allowed." Her glare shot a frozen dagger through my heart and sent me over the edge._

_That was the night I shifted. I didn't know what was going on; all I knew was that something was happening. The look in Cassie's eyes changed from anger to pure fear. _

_My striped paw fell to the ground with a crash that shook the entire house. I raised my head and looked at her through my new eyes. I could see her heartbeat. I could see her blood pulsating. _

_I lunged and that's when father jumped in between the two of us. He easily knocked me down with one swipe and ordered Cassandra to leave the room._

The rest of the memory was too fuzzy for me to remember. Probably because my father knocked me out. The rage began to build again and this time, I fed off it.

I leaned back against the tree I had perched myself in and rested my eyes. I managed to make it all the way to the mall without noticing. Something Cassandra would do. I chuckled to myself when I realized this.

"Alright, Cass. I'll bite. What exactly are you?" Scott's voice shook something in me as I registered what he was asking.

The next voice was from Cassandra. I watched them from the tree and noticed her hands…

"Uhm... well... My entire family... We're something known in the magick world as..." My screech interrupted her as I realized what she was grasping in her filthy hands.

My diary.


	6. Chapter 6

**Cassandra**

The force of the strike easily knocked me off my feet. The pavement beneath me was hotter than I had anticipated. I groaned as the pain from my side overwhelmed me... I was almost positive that something had been broken.

I struggled to sit up and face Brianna but she was on me in an instant.

"Who are you to think you can go through MY room and take possession of MY personal items?" Her green eyes had darkened and were now a deep crimson colour... Much like Creighton's. I could easily see the hate that simmered underneath those huge eyes of hers. She took a hold of my collar and stared me down. She let out a deep growl and I could see her body trembling. Sadly, I knew all too well what it would lead to.

I grabbed her waist and, with much effort, threw her into the tree she had previously been in. I couldn't fight her now... Not here. Not in front of...

_Scott._

I stole a glance at him. He had fallen to his knees and was staring, wide-eyed, at the two of us. Brianna noticed him at the same time I did. Without a moments hesitation, she launched herself at him.

The sickening snap of his bones as they both crashed to the ground sent a chill through my body. Scott's agonizing scream echoed through my soul, allowing instinct to take over. Ignoring my injury, I raced toward Brianna and yanked her off of him. A terrifying growl ripped through my own body as I crouched down and readied myself for anything.

The scream from Scott distracted me long enough for Brianna to make her escape. Within an instant, I was at his side. His nose was definitely broken; there was blood pouring from it and smeared all over his face. You could tell that the bones in his left arm had been shattered and his knee was dislocated. I gently lifted him up, ignoring his constant pleas to be left alone. I sat him down in the cab of the truck and, carefully, took the keys out of his pocket.

"Caaaass... it hurts so bad!" He was leaning against the window and I noted to drive as slowly as possible. The blood that continued to poor from his nose was starting to give me a headache. I attempted to clear my head but it wasn't working. My vision was already tinted red.

I pulled over and leaned on the steering wheel. I knew that if I gave in, it would be bad.

The temptation was getting stronger. I rolled the window down and turned the A.C. on full blast. The red tint faded to a light pink by the time we were down the road. It wasn't too long before we pulled into the parking lot at Connecticut Valley Hospital.

"Oh, wow. What happened to the both of you?" The doctor turned his gaze from me to Scott. Thankfully, he wasn't in critical condition. Just a few broken bones.

"We were hiking in the woods and we were.. attacked." I avoided his eyes and kept my focus on Scott.

"Attacked? By a bear?"

"Uh, yea. It came after me but Scott distracted him and got hit the hardest." He nodded and continued to put a cast on Scott's arm.

I gazed down at my best friend. He looked better than he had before, but was still in really bad shape. He smiled weakly at me, but I couldn't return it. His once rosy cheeks were now pale, as if they were dead.

I sat against the wall and attempted to breathe deeply. I felt sick. I never should have said anything. If we went directly to the mall, Brianna wouldn't have seen us... This was all my fault.

"Dear, are you alright?" The nurse that had been assisting the doctor was at my side.

"I'm fine. Just a long day, you know?" She nodded, thoughtfully, and left to get more supplies.

I couldn't look at Scott. I could feel him staring at me, but... I just couldn't look at him. Tears started brimming my eyes and I attempted to blink them away. One managed to escape. I turned quickly, facing the door, and wiped it away.

"Cassie, look at me." Scott's melodic voice drifted through the room and touched my heart, making the tears flow.

"W-why?" My voice broke. Great.

I heard him groan as he attempted to sit up, but was told to stay still. I gave up and made eye contact with him. He seemed so broken, so... limp. The smile he flashed me was so genuine and happy. How could he smile when I put him through all this?

"That's my girl." He motioned for me to sit in the chair next to him. Hesitantly, I sat beside him.

I hadn't meant for any of this to happen. My best friend was in the hospital because of me. I should have talked him into staying at my house. I should have-

My thoughts were interrupted by Scott's fingers intertwining with my own. I stared down at our hands. It looked so natural and right. That familiar spark returned as we sat there in silence. The doctor was reviewing the x-rays with Scott's dad. Slowly, I closed my hand around his.

I couldn't bring myself to think about Scott or even talk to him. I completely lost myself within old memories.

"_Sissy! Sissy, it hurts!" Brianna called out to me. She had been learning how to ride with only two wheels when the breaks failed and she toppled over. Our parents were out of town and we were too far from home for me to leave her._

_I pulled her into my lap and started to distract her with tricks my father had taught me._

"_It's alright, Brianna. See? It's not even..." There was no blood. There was no bruise, scrape, or cut. Nothing._

_Later that night father explained to us what Brianna was becoming and what I would soon become. As my sister continued to question father about where we came from I walked into the kitchen to get a drink. I peeled off my band aid that was covering the paper cut I had gotten two days before. It was still there. _

_It's not fair... I was still me. How come Brianna got to change and I didn't? I shook my head and sauntered up the stairs and into my bedroom._

_The knock at the door should have made me jump, but I was too upset to focus._

"_Cassie?" Brianna called from the doorway. I rolled over and patted the bed next to me. She bounded over and plopped down next to me, giggling. _

"_Sissy, are you mad at me?" She had stopped giggling and looked at me with way too much concern than a child should possess. I opened my arms and waited for her to curl up into my lap before I spoke._

"_Of course I'm not mad at you, Brianna. I think it's so cool that you're changing!" I kissed the top of her forehead and completely forgot about the paper cut that was still visible on my finger._

"_Cass, how come you're not changing?" She looked up at me with those big forest green eyes of hers and I simply smiled._

"_Because, sweetie... FIRST THE WORST, SECOND THE BEST!" I laughed as she play punched me. I was sure I would change soon enough. Best not to rush it._

My memory ended and I was back in the hospital room. Holding hands with my best friend.

"Cassandra?" Scott's voice sounded unsteady.

"Since when do you call me that?" I stuck my tongue out at him, but he didn't smile.

"Uh, Cassie, do you remember... way back when..."

"That doesn't help me remember, Scott. What's up?" I raised an eyebrow at him as he continued.

"When we," he whispered the next part, as if he didn't want to be overheard, "dated."

I shook my head without responding. The fact that he seemed reluctant to say we dated hit me pretty hard. We had agreed to pretend as if it never happened, but when we actually talked about it, neither one of us resented it. I braced myself. I figured that maybe what happened today made him realize he didn't want to be friends with me anymore. I mentally shook myself. Of course Scott wouldn't do that!

He stared down at our hands. "Well, I was thinking. You told me a huge secret today, and, that really took some guts. Not only that but you saved my life from your sister," he looked at me this time, "which we are going to talk about later. But... I have a secret that I wanted to get off my chest, too."

I laughed, "You're not a vampire, are you?" I continued laughing till I realized I was the only one.

"I love you, Cassie."

I smiled. "Aw, I love you too, Scott." His expression changed a bit, but he maintained his composure.

"Cassandra Elaine Faratheen, I love you. I always have and I always will." His eyes bore into mine as what he said registered.

I couldn't say anything. All I could do was stare blankly at him. His expression saddened. My hand had gone limp by now and Scott's grasp was the only thing keeping it in place. Scott returned his gaze to our hands.

Three minutes had passed without either of us saying a word. I could tell how upset he was. He confessed his love for me and said nothing. What was I supposed to say to him? Of course he's my best friend and all but... Do I love him the same way?

The nurse came back in with a wheelchair and I helped her move Scott. We met up with his dad in the waiting room and proceeded to go home. The ride was anything but quiet. Mr. Kane wanted to know everything that happened and kept asking me if I was alright.

By the time we arrived at my house the questions had ceased. As we were pulling in the driveway, I spotted something on the roof. When I looked again, it was gone. I shook my head; I was seeing things.

"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Kane. Sorry about the whole accident." I smiled, sheepishly. He flashed me a huge grin and ruffled my hair. He was such a sweet man. I turned around to say goodbye to Scott, but he was asleep. I grabbed his good hand to try and get his attention, but he didn't wake up. I sighed and said goodbye before jumping out of the car and following my father inside.

"Of course, Mrs. Faratheen. You have nothing to worry about." The voice cut through the silence and pierced my heart. I know that voice...

I walked into the kitchen to find my mother handing a glass of water to a man whose face I couldn't see.

"Oh! Cassandra, this is Derek. He's going to help us find Brianna." He turned around to greet me.

My stomach clenched. It was Creighton. "Hello, Cassie."


	7. Chapter 7

I slammed my door as hard as I could before throwing myself on my bed. Creighton was downstairs with my parents.

I could hear the footsteps in the hallway followed by a soft tapping at my door. The door creaked open and I turned to tell them to leave. It was Creighton. Great.

"Oh, Cassandra. That's no way to greet someone who's going to help you find your sister." His smile was warm and kind, but I knew better than to trust it.

"Screw off, Creighton. I know who you are and I know you have no intention of finding Brianna." I backed up into the corner next to my bed. I didn't want to be too close to him.

His warm smile faded and was replaced with sorrow. He went to say something and stopped. Instead, he made his way over to my bed and sat down. I glared at him. He shouldn't act so familiar.

I growled. "Get. Off. My. Bed."

He laughed and didn't move.

I had just recently changed, so I didn't know all the spells and tricks that my father did. I knew one thing, though.

I closed my eyes and centered myself. I could feel a surge of heat rush through my body. I focused the heat on my hands and made eye contact with Creighton.

"_Anash'ka kubar'ashi." _Creighton was easily knocked to his knees. He gasped for breath from the force of the blow.

He coughed before he could speak. "So, you're not as weak as I thought." He met my gaze and smiled.

"Leave, Creighton." He got to his feet and turned to leave for the door. Just before walking out, he turned and blew me a kiss.

My heart fluttered. He... he made my heart flutter. I wanted to scream. I wanted to beat him till I felt better.

I wanted him to hold me.

I shook my head. No... I can't think like that. Why am I feeling like this? What is he doing to me?

My phone vibrated, scaring me half to death. It was Scott.

"Hey, Scott." I breathed into the phone. I didn't want to talk about what happened at the hospital just yet. I didn't want to talk about it at all.

"What's up, Cass?" He sounded different. He's usually so lighthearted when we talk. He's usually so... cheerful.

"Nothing much, really. How are you feeling?" I didn't tell him that Creighton was in the house. I hadn't even had the time to tell him about Brianna, let alone Creighton.

"Eh, a little better than earlier," he paused and I could hear him take a deep breath, "Look, Cass, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have said that."

I sighed. I didn't want to talk about this. I wanted to put it behind us and pretend it never happened. Scott's my best friend and all but... I don't think it would be best for him to date someone like me.

"Scott... It's fine. I know how you feel. Believe it or not, I feel the same way."

"Then why didn't you say so, Cass?" I could tell that he was smiling, which only made this conversation harder.

"Because, it's not a good idea for you to date someone like me. I nearly got you killed today. If I lost you forever, I don't think I'd be able to go on living." I wanted to throw up. I felt sick to my core. I hated doing this. Especially to my best friend.

"Oh, please. It's not like you have enemies or anything. Don't go pulling that Spider Man crap with me." His tone changed from excited to angry. I hated not being able to explain to him exactly what was going on.

"Uh, Scott, I don't know if you realized this or not, but... MY YOUNGER SISTER TRIED TO KILL YOU! I'm pretty sure that falls under the 'enemies' category." I sighed. He wasn't going to be able to understand. I didn't even understand.

Why, Brianna?

We fought back and forth for what seemed like hours. I tried to stay as quiet as I could, in case someone was listening. I couldn't believe we were fighting over this. I couldn't believe we were fighting in the first place! We never have. Never in the history of our friendship. What was happening to us?

I quit listening when I spotted the note near the night stand. I leaned over and picked it up. It had been folded into a perfect square with my name written, very elegantly, on the front.

"I just don't think it's fair that-"

"Scott, I have to go. I'll call you later, ok?" I cut him off and I heard him sigh before saying goodbye and hanging up.

I stared at the strange note for a few seconds before actually reading it. It seemed too perfect to be unfolded. Nonetheless, I gave in and opened it.

_Meet me tonight. I'll be waiting by the large oak tree on the outskirts of the river. Be there exactly three minutes after midnight. There's much to discuss, Cassandra._

_-S._

"S? Scott? No... it can't be him. That's just crazy. He just got back from the hospital!"

I glanced at my clock to check the time. It was a quarter till midnight. That should be enough time to get down to the river. I walked to my door and peeked out, making sure there was no one around.

Feeling satisfied that everyone was busy, I locked the door and headed towards the window, grabbing the note on the way. I stepped out onto the roof and put the end of the curtain under the window so I could get back in.

The moon illuminated the river, giving it an unnatural look. Everything was still, even the water. It was like the moon was looking at herself through a mirror. I glanced at my phone to check the time. Exactly three minutes after midnight. I looked around only to find nothing.

"Great. Just great. You should have known this, Cassie. You're losing your mind." I began talking to myself to fill the silence that was eerily floating around me. "This was all just a wild goose chase to begin with."

"You're phone is two minutes fast, Cassandra." The voice came from above me, making my senses go numb. There was a soft thud next to the oak tree and I whirled around to face whoever called me out here.

She was beautiful. Her hair was waist length and white as snow. Her eyes were wide and crystal blue with a calmness about them. She was about my height, maybe a little bit taller. Everything about her was so beautiful and... graceful. I was so captivated by her beauty, that I found myself unable to speak.

"Cassandra, my name is Sarathena. You may call me Sara." Her smile was warm as she extended her hand towards me. Hesitantly, I took it.

I forced myself to speak. "Who are you?"

She chuckled, but didn't respond. Instead, she glided over to the river, motioning for me to follow. I took my seat beside her and waited for an explanation. Nothing.

"So, are you going to say anything else? I'm not too fond of the 'quiet game', you know." She stared out at the river, unfazed by my words.

"Cassie, have you ever noticed how the water remains so still at night? Even water needs it's rest, too."

"You brought me out here to talk about the river? Seriously?" I was getting frustrated. This couldn't be the only reason she had me come out here. It just couldn't be. She still wasn't answering my questions, either!

"You shouldn't rush things, you know. You'll miss the beauty that you're passing by." This time, she looked at me. She wasn't smiling anymore.

We sat there, quietly, for what seemed like fifteen minutes before she finally spoke again.

"You're too focused on finding your sister. I know it's important, but it shouldn't distract you from having a life of your own. There's a really sweet boy sitting at home, upset, because you're too worried about your younger sister."

Her tone was so serious that it took me by surprise. How did she know about Brianna? How did she know about Scott? Is she stalking me?

"Who the hell are you?"

She smacked me on the back of the head. My vision blurred for a second and it took me a moment to realize what she had just done.

"Cassandra, that is NO way to talk to your superior! Now stand up." She was already on her feet and waiting for my response. Geez, she didn't even help me up.

Taking my sweet time, I stood up and turned to face her, only to be greeted with an insane amount of power throwing me back a good twenty feet. I landed on the rocky shore of the river and slid a few more feet before coming to a stop.

She hit me! Not with her hands but... she used magick. I groaned as I sat up. If I wasn't already sore from my fight with Brianna earlier, I definitely was now.

"Look, lady, I don't know where the hell you come from, but..." She was at me in an instant. She picked me up and threw me down before I could catch my breath. Was she really trying to fight me?

Yet again, I was on the ground. This Sara lady was strong. Stronger than Brianna, that was for sure. I didn't get up this time. I tried to remain as still as possible, in case she wanted to hit me again.

"On your feet, Cassandra." She sounded like a drill sergeant. I didn't move.

"You'll just knock me down again!" I closed my eyes, anticipating her next attack, but it never came. Slowly, I peeked up at her. She didn't look mad nor dangerous. Instead, she was laughing.

I forced myself to sit up. "What's so funny?" I stared at her, suspiciously. She continued to laugh as if I hadn't asked a question. After finally calming down, she spoke.

"I'm going to rush you." She said it with a smile, but something inside me sank. Before I knew it, she was running full speed towards me. Without thinking, I jumped to my feet and dodged her attack.

I did it! I dodged her!

Again, she knocked me down. "Don't get cocky. You may have dodged me once, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try again. Keep moving. Never stay in one place for too long."

Finally, something clicked. She was just like me.

"You're here to train me," she nodded, "why?"

"Because, you can't defeat Brianna on your own. I have my sources, but that's irrelevant. Ready yourself!"

She came at me again. I dodged and whirled around to face her and dodge her next attack. Instincts took over as I awaited her next attack. I crouched down right before she reached me, knocking her to the ground.

"Not bad for a beginner, eh?" I grinned at her and offered my hand. She took it, but pulled me down. She was on me in an instant and raised a glowing hand. For a moment, I actually thought she was going to kill me.

"NEVER do that. Even if this is practice, don't do it. It's too easy for your attacker to get the advantage." She lowered her hand and I sighed internally.

"Teach me how to do that." I nodded towards her hand after we had decided to take a break. She was able to summon so much power without a moments notice...

"Not this time. Meet me again in two days. There's still a lot you have to learn before you can master a spell like that." She smiled at me.

"Two days? Where? Why not tomorrow night? It's best if I learn as much as I possibly can before-" My words were halted when she smacked me. Again.

"No. Slow down and start paying attention to the little things in life. Besides, you just texted Scott saying that you want to hang out tomorrow night." She waved my phone in the air with a triumphant grin.

"I'll cancel!" How dare she do that!

"Then I'll cancel our practice," she tossed me my phone, "he's a good boy. Give him a chance." With those last words, she was gone.

I stood there, alone, for a while before walking back home. I effortlessly climbed onto my roof and approached my window. There was a note wedged into the crevice of the panels. Without thinking, I snatched it up and crawled back into my room.

_This time we'll meet south of the elementary. It's important to keep moving. We wouldn't want 'someone' noticing. Remember: three minutes past midnight. I'll see you in two days._

_-S._

I sighed. I don't care if I don't have a normal teenage life. That was destined the day I was born. I checked my phone for the message that she sent Scott.

"_Scott, meet me at the movies tomorrow at around 7. I think we should talk this out. I love you!"_

"Damn it." I ducked, involuntarily, thinking I would be smacked again. For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that she somehow knew what I had said... Creepy.

I grabbed a sticky note and placed it on my window with the words: "Thank you, S."

I smiled. She'd appreciate that.


	8. Chapter 8

**_This chapter is dedicated to Samantha, because she believed I was done writing._**

I groaned as I looked though my closet. Should I even dress up for this? I was unintentionally going on a date with my best friend. Grabbing the first thing I touched, I threw it on and studied myself in the mirror.

Great. I looked horrible. Why is it so hard for me to get ready to see him? I've done this thousands of times! He's my best friend, why is this so weird?

Then it dawned on me: we're in love with each other.

I plopped down on the corner of my bed and let out a heavy sigh. This isn't easy. I know Sara told me to have a life, but... What about Scott? Can he have a life with me? Would he ever be normal again?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my phone going off.

"_See you in a few._"

"_Can't wait._"

I tossed my phone behind me and willed myself to get up and finish. I was in the process of throwing my hair into a ponytail when I remembered the sticky note. I moved, swiftly, to the window and drew back the curtains, looking for the note I had left.

It was gone.

I smiled, grabbed my phone, and made my way downstairs to meet Scott. He was wearing casual everyday clothes, which put me more at ease.

"Wow, Cass, you look great." He flashed me that breathtaking smile of his and I couldn't help but return it.

"Oh, I just threw on whatever I touched first. I see your knee is better!" I laughed, nervously. The situation was a little more awkward than I would have wanted it to be.

"Yea, it is. Just a little sore. Dad refused to let me drive here, so he's waiting for us in the car." I smiled. Having his father there would make things a little better.

Before long we were out of the house and halfway to the theater. Thankfully, none of us talked about anything other than the song that was on the radio. I liked this. This was how it should be.

When we pulled into the parking lot I couldn't help but check our surroundings. I didn't want a repeat of the day before. I helped Scott out of the truck and thanked Mr. Kane for driving us. We made our way inside and chose our seats. We were a little early, so there wasn't anyone else in the theater.

"I was really happy when I got your text last night."

"Yea, it was a spur of the moment type thing." The image of Sara waving my phone around and grinning made me giggle.

"You know, Cass, for a while there... I actually thought we weren't going to talk to each other anymore." I could hear the pain in his voice even though he tried to seem happy.

"Scott, you know I could never quit talking to you. It's like we're made for each other." The second I said it, I wanted to take it back. I didn't want to lead him on. His smile got wider, but he said nothing. I closed my eyes and tried to think of a way to reword what I had just said when someone tapped my knee.

"Excuse me, miss. Is this seat taken?" That voice... It couldn't be...

I looked up to meet his eyes. Creighton.

"No, it's not. Please sit down." Scott answered the man for me. Everything was screaming for me to get up and leave, but I knew that would seem too suspicious. I couldn't stay there.

I began thinking of possible ways to get out of this situation. I wanted to run, but I didn't want to leave Scott alone with him. That was the last thing I would ever do.

"I heard this movie is really good. Is this your first time watching it?" His melodic voice filled the air between us and I forced myself to look at him.

"Yes, it is." My voice wavered, but not enough for him to hear.

"Same here. Are you two together?" He smiled, motioning to Scott, but I could see the amount of hate in his eyes.

In the split second I realized something. Creighton was in love with me. He also hated the thought of anyone being close to me. I knew that he wouldn't do anything in public, so I used that to my advantage.

"Yes, he's my date." Thankfully, my voice was strong when I said this. I wasn't sure if I was finally accepting our relationship or of I was trying to prove to him that I wasn't afraid.

The look in Creighton's eyes was malicious, but I didn't show any signs of terror. I simply smiled and turned back to Scott, lacing my fingers with his. When I heard the chair next to me creak, I glanced to my left, and saw Creighton leave.

Towards the end of the movie it was getting harder and harder to shake the feelings that showed up when I saw the hate in his eyes. I feared for Scott's safety. I questioned if maybe what I did was the wrong thing. I watched Scott's face. He was completely fixed on the movie. He didn't realize that I might have just put his life in danger.

When the credits came up, I felt horrible. I wanted to curl up in my bed and cry until I fell asleep.

We made our way out of the theater and met up with Mr. Kane. We decided that we would eat at their place, because I wasn't feeling so good. The thought of resting on their big, white recliner put me at ease.

After dinner, Scott and I headed outside to their patio. For the most part, we sat in silence as we watched the pond shimmer. I thought of what Sara told me. About the water needing rest, too. I took a deep breath and attempted to clear my thoughts. I focused on nothing but the sound of the crickets and Scott's steady breathing.

I was so at ease that I barely noticed Scott's hand in mine. I was too relaxed to list the reasons why we shouldn't be together. For once, I completely forgot about Brianna and Creighton.

We laid there for what seemed like hours, until Scott's gentle snoring brought me out of my daze. I turned to face him as he slept. He seemed so peaceful, even with a broken arm. I couldn't help but feel guilty about the condition he was in. I knew that if he hadn't came to visit that day, it wouldn't have happened. If only I hadn't been foolish enough to bring Brianna's journal with me...

I carefully pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time. We had been out here for nearly two hours. Slowly, I slipped my hand out from under Scott's and stood up.

"Cassie?" He groaned as he readjusted himself.

Crap.

"Yea, Scott, what's up?" I sat back down next to him and waited for him to respond.

He yawned. "What time is it?"

"It's about a quarter to midnight."

"Oh, we should get inside, then."

I helped him up and we made our way up to his room. He was complaining about his knee so I brought him an ice pack and helped him into his bed. After making sure everything was perfect and he was comfortable, I made my way to his door.

"Wait, Cassie. It's too late for you to be out there. Why don't you just crash here?"

I thought about it for a bit. It would be nice to stay out tonight. I wasn't exactly jumping for joy at the thought of walking alone in the dark. Especially since Creighton isn't afraid to be seen in public. Plus, I hadn't spent the night with Scott in quite some time.

"Sure, give me a minute to call my parents and let them know." I tossed my bag on the floor and walked out of the room to call them. I've always been weird about people listening to me as I talk on the phone.

I waited for them to pick up but after a while it went to voice mail. I sighed and left them a message. Of course they wouldn't pick up, they're probably in bed already.

I went to the kitchen to grab a drink before heading back to Scott's room. I still couldn't seem to shake that feeling I had earlier at the movie theater...

The tap at the window scared me so bad that I dropped my cup. The glass shattered, sending shards in all directions.

"Cassie? Are you alright?" Scott called from upstairs.

"I'm fine! Don't worry, I got it!" I scrambled to clean everything up. There was another tap after I finished moping up the spilled juice.

Cautiously, I walked over to the window. I tried to remain as calm as possible and readied myself. I slowly pulled back the curtains on the window above the sink so I could get a good look outside.

It was a tree branch.

I sighed. Just what I needed. I can't take Sara's advice if I'm this paranoid.

"You scare too easily."

"AHHHHH!" I grabbed the nearest object, spun around, and threw it in the direction of the voice.

She caught it with ease. "A spoon, Cassie?" Sara teased.

"It was the closest thing next to me!" I pouted. I glanced past her and up the stairs. I was sure that I had woken someone up, but no one came to check. Gee, I feel protected.

I turned my gaze back on Sara, who was still chuckling over the spoon. "Why are you here? I thought we weren't supposed to meet till tomorrow night." I snatched the spoon from her and placed it back in the sink, "Wait, how did you know I was here?"

"That's what I came to talk to you about. There's been a change of location." Her tone wasn't playful like it was before. There was an eerie edge to it that I didn't like.

"What do you mean: there's been a change of location?" I kept glancing at the stairs. I was sure someone was going to come check on me sooner or later. Sara noticed this.

"Don't worry about them. I stopped time, so they're frozen in place right now. Anyway, we can't meet at the elementary. It's being watched..." Her words trailed off as her gaze was drawn toward the door. Curious, I looked, too.

In the window, there were a pair of blood red eyes. Eyes that were seeking revenge. I gasped when the eyes changed focus and fixed themselves in my direction. In an instant, Sara was in front of me.

"I thought you stopped time!" I cried at her, unable to tear my eyes away from the window. The way it stared at me made me want to run.

"For humans, I did. That creature isn't human, therefore the spell doesn't affect him." She emitted a low growl that rumbled through my core, sending shivers down my spine.

Out of habit, I glanced toward the stairs; no one. When I looked back at the window, the eyes were gone, but the feeling was still there. He wasn't gone yet.

It was too silent. "Get your things. We're getting out of here." I followed Sara's command without question. I wasn't foolish enough to hesitate. I tore up the stairs and grabbed my bag.

I was on my way out when I heard the sheets rustle. I turned back to see Scott soundly asleep. Before I could stop myself, I was sitting on the bed next to him. What would happen if I leave Scott here alone with that thing? It definitely wasn't Creighton. There was something about those eyes that struck pure terror in my heart.

I rested my hand on his chest, careful not to wake him up. I was going to keep him safe. There was no doubt about it. Slowly, I leaned down till my lips brushed his.

"Cassie, we need to go, my dear." Sara's voice drifted in from the doorway.

I froze. "You're right. Let's go." I stood up and attempted to pass Sara.

"Leave something for him to remember you by." The sorrow that laced her words made me want to cry.

I glanced down at the friendship bracelet he made me in sixth grade and took a deep breath. I removed it and went to place it on his wrist. I slid it over his hand and twisted it with his bracelet. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I walked back over to Sara.

"Is that creature still outside?" I avoided Sara's comforting gaze as we went back to the kitchen.

"Yea, he's still there. Here, shove these in your bag. We'll definitely need water." She tossed me a few bottles of water and I did as she said.

I kept looking toward the window, expecting those blood read eyes to be there again. I wasn't leaving till he was gone, too.

"Cassie, don't get foolish. You don't know what kind of monster is out there. It's best we not fight-"

"If you're about to tell me not to protect someone I love, save it. You already know I'm stubborn," I glanced at her and smiled, "so, don't try to stop me." I winked and headed for the door. Sara was at my heels before I turned the knob.

"Then we need to go kick some ass," I went to smack her, but she caught my wrist, "don't even think about it, kiddo."

I sighed and threw the door open. It was darker than normal, so it took a moment for my eyes to adjust.

A moment too long.

Before I could react, Sara was already head to head with the creature. I ran at the two of them and knocked him off his feet. Remembering what Sara had taught me, I jumped up and turned to face him, ready for his next attack.

Instead of going after me, he went directly for Sara. She smiled and jumped a good twenty feet in the air before he could grab her. When she landed, he lunged at her.

All of his attacks were focused on Sara. I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out! Sara's the one being watched. That thing is after her, not me. That thing read Sara's note before I did... He's the one who took the sticky note on my window, too.

Who is Sarathena?

"Cassie! Move!" I jumped to the side before she could finish talking. I groaned from the force of the impact. Slowly, I picked myself up and brushed off my arms.

I wasn't entirely aware of the situation till it was too late. My feet were off the ground and his hand was clasped around my neck. I grabbed his wrist in an attempt to break free of his grasp, but it was no use. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Sara doubled over.

"So, you're Cassandra Faratheen? I expected someone a little... stronger." His voice was thick with venom. He looked like a regular man with the exception of the red eyes and the insanely sharp teeth.

I gasped for breath. I wouldn't last much longer like this.

"Anakua s.. sj'k..." His grip tightened around my throat making me unable to finish.

"Hush, hush. We wouldn't want you doing something foolish, would we?" His laugh was full of sickening joy.

The growl ripped through the air and halted his disgusting laughter. I closed my eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. In all of a second, I was on the ground and I could breathe again. I forced myself to sit up, expecting to see Sara ripping him to shreds, but she was laying just a few feet away from me.

The second creature snapped it's head at me, causing me to stare into it's beautiful...

Forest green eyes.

Brianna.


	9. Chapter 9

I pressed my hands over my ears, but I could still hear the horrible sounds of the creature's flesh ripping. With every terrible snarl and agonizing groan, the wish to not be here grew stronger. I was laying next to Sara, now. Even though she was injured, she took a protective stance over me.

With each gut-wrenching sound, the groans and pleas for help got quieter. Before long, there was silence. I peeked at the beast and the mutilated creature. My stomach started to turn and I was unable to look anymore. The sight was too much for me to possibly bear.

I could hear the bones popping and snapping back into place as the shifter returned to it's original form. I forced myself to sit up and take a good look. I had to be sure of who it was...

Brianna.

Her straight, black hair fell down her back, and wrapped around her like a blanket. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight as her fierce green eyes darted between Sara and myself. For a moment I figured that she was going to come after us next. I managed to knock Sara down and stand in front of her. No way was I going to let her take my punishment.

She scoffed. "Don't make me save you again."

"Why did you save me in the first place, Brianna?" I wasn't in the mood for games, I wanted the truth and nothing less. She had no reason to save me. Even if I am her sister...

"Because," the moon reflected off her perfect teeth, "I'm the only one who gets the pleasure of killing you." Her laugh was cold and heartless, which fed my anger.

"Get out of here, Brianna. Our battle isn't going to be today." It came out as a whisper, but she could tell there was power behind my words.

"You don't have to tell me twice." With that, she shifted and took off for the woods.

I fell to my knees. She wasn't my sister anymore. She was turning into something else entirely. I couldn't sense the old Brianna in her like I could the last time we saw one another. This time all I felt was pure rage.

I hadn't noticed that I was crying till Sara handed me a tissue. I smiled and accepted it without a word. I got up and went to grab my bag. Sara was pretty beat up, but it wasn't anything life-threatening. Just a few cuts and bruises, that's all. I touched my neck and winced. It was still tender.

We made our way to my house in silence. Neither of us spoke. We were both consumed in our own thoughts. There was no need for useless chitchat. I was still too freaked out to climb up to my window, so we walked in the front door. My parents had been in bed for at least two hours by now.

I collapsed onto the couch and let out a huff of air. I knew we were in a rush, but I wanted nothing more than to relax. I kept thinking about Sara. She never did answer me when I asked who she was. She never answered any of my questions, really.

"Cassie, I really think we should get-"

"Shut up." I had decided that I wasn't going to take orders from her till I knew exactly who she was.

"Excuse you?" Her tone was harsh. Extremely harsh. But, I didn't care.

"You heard me. Sit down. We're not leaving till I know who you are." I wasn't looking at her, but I could tell she was angry. I could feel her gaze, but I ignored it.

"That is NO way for you to talk to your superior, Cassandra." Yeah, she was pissed.

"Would you shut up about this 'superior' crap? If you haven't noticed, I couldn't care less right now. Since that's out of the way, I want to know everything there is to know about you. Starting with that guy back there." I was sitting up now. We were both glaring at each other. Finally, she took her seat, but didn't break her glare.

"My name is Sarathena Tanaka. I was born and raised right in this very town. I used to be an assassin," she smirked, "but, not anymore. Unfortunately, I screwed up. I killed the wrong guy. Before that day, killing was as easy as blinking. The second I ended his life, everything changed."

I watched her closely as she spoke. I could tell that the memory was painful, but I didn't interrupt her. It was vital that I knew who she was before I went anywhere with her. Even if it was upsetting.

"I didn't go back to our hideout that night. Instead, I took off. I traveled for three years before finally returning here. Now, being an assassin, I made quite a few enemies. One of which you know."

"Creighton." I whispered. She shook her head and fixed her gaze on her hands.

"The man I killed that night was his brother. Even though I feel horrible for doing it, guilt can't replace a loved one. Creighton promised that he'd get revenge. The man who attacked us tonight was sent by him." She shuddered, "If Brianna hadn't shown up-"

"Don't talk about Brianna." I cut her off, "She wasn't saving my life, she was prolonging my death. My sister isn't in that body anymore. In that body lies a vicious monster who wants me dead." I sighed. Even though it was true, those words still stung when I said them.

We sat there in silence for a while after that. I'm not sure if Sara was shocked at what I said or if she agreed. Either way, neither of us moved.

I rested my head on the arm of the couch and sorted through everything. We had to get out of here, and fast. I figured that I'd leave my parents a note, and make sure I pack what I needed. It was all about the necessities, now. I wasn't even sure if I should bring my phone with me...

Sara interrupted my thoughts when she cleared her throat. I glanced at the wall clock and decided to start packing. I climbed up the stairs and into my room, grabbing my backpack on the way. I shoved all my clothes into it and a few pairs of sandals. I went ahead and packed my phone, just in case.

After I was completely ready, I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked pale. More so than usual. I let out a huff of air, and met with Sara in the kitchen.

"You sure do pack a lot of food, Sara." I spoke, while watching her pile everything into a huge bag. Did she have that before?

"You can never be too prepared, Cassie. I don't know how long it's going to take for us to get settled, so it's best that we bring whatever we can." She looked up, and smiled. She seemed so sweet and harmless. Not the kind of person I would have pegged for an assassin.

Before I knew it, we were flying through the woods. I began to feel uneasy at the thought of running into Brianna while out here, but I ignored it. It's best not to get too caught up in things like that.

Out of nowhere, dense fog began to fill the trees. It was next to impossible to see. A sickening feeling washed over me, and I found myself unable to move. I was frozen in terror... why?

"_Cassandra..._" The word was whispered through the fog, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. My gut clenched when I realized that I didn't see Sara anymore.

"W-who's there?" My voice wavered.

"_Don't be afraid, Cassandra..._" The disembodied voice came again, this time it was behind me.

"SARA!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Arms wrapped around me, making me unable to move. I let out a shrill shriek, terrified for my life. Sara was nowhere to be seen, and whatever was whispering beyond the trees finally reached me. I went to scream again, when a hand was pressed against my mouth. I lost feeling in my legs at that point.

I closed my eyes, admitting defeat. I knew there was no way for me to escape such a strong grasp.

"Cassie, open your eyes. I need you to look at me." Was that Sara?

Slowly, I looked up at her. Her tight grasp was keeping me from shaking. I realized that it was her who had been holding me. I looked around, and, to my surprise, there was no fog. Everything was... normal.

"S..." I couldn't speak. My throat felt as if I had just swallowed sand. I attempted to cough, but the pain was too much.

"Don't say anything. We need to get out of here, Cassie." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at a nearby tree. I didn't hesitate for a moment. I was on my feet before she was, but she grabbed my hand to stop me.

"Can you shift?" I shook my head. I was the only one in my family who hadn't been able to shift yet. Her face twisted as she processed this and she tapped at her temple. "You're going to have to ride on my back."

Sara's flesh began to rip as her bones readjusted themselves, revealing her new form. She was solid white, just like her hair. Her body shook as she stretched, before nudging the bags to my feet. I promptly picked them up and slid the strap over her head.

I climbed onto her back and dug my hands into her long, soft fur. I placed my feet underneath her hind legs, and let her know that I was ready. Instantly, we were flying through the air at an amazing speed. It was nothing I had ever experienced before. I mean, yeah, I could run fast as it is, but nothing like this.

The wind whipped at my face, and my hair danced with it. I felt so free and light. It was so soothing. I forgot about everything. All I could think of was the smell of the forest and the wind whistling around me.

There was no way to tell how much time had passed. I wasn't sure if I was awake or not, but I could feel our speed decreasing. I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. We were still in dense forest, but this place seemed calmer. I didn't have the overwhelming feeling to run like I did before.

I filled my lungs with the scent around me. I was on the ground, now. Sara had just finished shifting and was back to her normal self. She sat next to me and took in the scenery. We were sitting in the middle of a gorgeous grove. The ground glowed with predawn light, and the dew sprinkled off the trees.

The beauty of the place took away my words. I couldn't speak. All I could do was sit there in awe.

"Cassie, are you alright?" Sara's words were soft, as if she were speaking to a young child.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You took quite a fall back there." I fell? When?

"Don't worry about me, Sara. Just focus on the trees around us. Aren't they beautiful?" Sara's look worried me. She wrinkled her brow and looked around before turning back to me.

She placed her hand over mine and spoke kindly. "Cassandra, this place was a victim of a fire. There are no trees here."

I looked up and finally saw what she was talking about. Searing pain coursed through my skull. I covered my head, trying to keep it from exploding. My vision blurred and I began to cry. It was too much to bear. I blinked away the tears and forced myself to look around me. It was burned down. Everything was burned to a crisp.

It was horrifyingly similar to where I first met Creighton.

I fell back, still clasping my hands to my head. I was in so much pain, I wanted to vomit. My ears were ringing and I could feel the heat radiating from my skin. Slowly, every part of my body felt as if it were being torn off.

I couldn't take it anymore; I let loose a bloodcurdling scream. As soon as the sound escaped my lips, my vision went red. I couldn't see clearly, but I had the worst pain in my chest.

I attempted to push myself off the ground, but was forced down. I looked up and could make out Sara's figure. Why was she holding me down?

"_She's trying to kill you, Cassie." _The malicious voice whispered through my thoughts. It touched the pain in my chest and began to soothe it. _"Don't let her kill you first."_ I nodded my head to the unknown voice.

The growl that erupted from my body made Sara jump back. I was on my feet before she had time to react, and was already rushing at her. I ducked out of her reach and lashed at her legs, knocking her down. I slid a few feet away and was too slow in getting up. She was already on top of me, holding my body down.

"_Don't let her kill you! Fight back!" _

I managed to get my foot on her torso, sending her flying a good thirty feet into the air. I was up in an instant, with my hands around her throat. We landed with her underneath me, leaving a nice dent in the burnt ground.

"CASSANDRA! CASSANDRA, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!" She screamed useless words at me, and I smirked.

My hands tightened around her throat as I spoke. "This is your destiny, Sarathena Tanaka. This is what you deserve." The voice wasn't my own, but I didn't care.

"_NO!" _The voice screamed at me, but I ignored it.

The gunshot ripped through the silent forest. I fell off Sara and collapsed into myself. The shot missed my heart, but punctured my lung. I rolled on my side, allowing the blood to pool at the bottom. My breaths came short as my vision started to clear.

"S-Sar-" I couldn't speak. I closed my eyes and took a relaxing breath. The pain was gone. Everything was quiet. Everything felt... right.

As my breath left my lips, I lost contact with the world.


	10. Chapter 10

"Is she going to be alright?" ...

"She should be." ...

The voices floated around in my head, but I wasn't sure if they were real or not. Was I dead?

"Oh, Cassie... Please, live." That was Sara's voice. I could tell.

"Sarathena, she's going to be alright." The second voice belonged to a man. He sounded much older... familiar, too.

My stomach clenched. It sounded like Creighton. With a gasp, I bolted upright. I opened my eyes, but still couldn't see anything. My hands flew to my face and I felt the bandage that had been wrapped around my eyes. I frantically pulled at the gauze, trying to remove it, when two sets of arms grabbed me.

"Cassie! Cassie, calm down!" Sara's voice wavered.

"Sara, who's here? Why are my eyes bandaged?" I turned in the direction her voice came from.

One pair of arms let go and I could hear footsteps shuffle to the other side of the room.

Room? Wasn't I in the forest?

With a jolt, everything came rushing back to me. The fog, the burnt surroundings, the voice, the shot... My head throbbed as I remembered each painful detail.

Suddenly, the wrappings fell from my face and I was able to look around. My vision was still hazy, but I was able to see. On my right was Sara. Her eyes were red from crying and she was a mess. Remembering what I had done to her, I went to pull her into a hug. Everything was stiff and my chest felt like it was on fire, but I didn't care. I nearly killed her...

"Cassandra, you have to limit your movements. You were dead for a good two hours." The voice came from the opposite side of the room. Slowly, I turned to face him. His hair was chin length and solid black. He moved closer to the bed. His eyes were soft brown with bits of gold in them.

"Who are you?" I took in his appearance. He looked shockingly similar to Creighton...

"My name is Hevak. I'm Creighton's younger brother." He extended a hand to me, but withdrew when I didn't shake it.

"Creighton's brother is dead. Sara killed him." My tone was cold; I didn't like being lied to. "Now, tell me who you are."

"Sara, you..." He began to speak, but his words trailed off.

Sara sighed from behind me. I turned my gaze to her as she rubbed her temples. "You told me you killed him, Sara."

"Cassie, what I said was a lie. That's Creighton's brother. He's not dead. He never was..." She didn't meet my eyes. Instead she was staring at the ground. "Please, you must understand."

"Why should I believe anything you say to me, Sara? Why should I believe that you're even helping me?" My eyes narrowed and I forced myself off the bed. Hevak turned to help me, but froze when I glared at him.

Neither of them said anything. I stood there for another second before deciding that it was pointless. I made my way out of the room, and kept walking. I didn't stop till I came across a garden right outside the main door. It was unusually chilly for it being summer. The sun wasn't fully up, and the flowers were still sleeping. I filled my lungs with the fresh air and relaxed.

I couldn't believe she lied to me again. Here I was, thinking that she was someone to be trusted, and it turned out to be false. Was Sarathena even her real name? I shook my head. It was useless trying to figure it all out right now. I had to figure out where I was, and the easiest way to escape.

Sarathena sat down next to me, and I avoided eye contact. I couldn't even look at her the same... "Cassie, listen-"

"Cassandra." I corrected her. She couldn't call me by something so intimate.

"Cassandra... Please, I understand how you're feeling right now. Trust me, I do." Her words shook as if she'd been crying. Up until now, we had been close. The thought of her sorrow still brought pain to my heart.

"Don't pretend like you understand, Sarathena, because you don't. You don't know anything." I startled myself. Brianna had said something similar to that when she snapped... Was I becoming more like her?

I shook myself. There's no way that we could be the same. Not anymore.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but please, hear me out. I don't expect you to trust me as much as you used to, but it's imperative that you listen." Her tone changed. She sounded like her typical superior self.

"Fine. Go for it." I gave in. There was still a part of me that really looked up to her. I know she didn't mean to hurt me, but there was too much going on right now for me to handle this.

"Creighton believes his brother is dead. The truth is that I was never an assassin. Hevak is my beloved, and Creighton doesn't like that. At all. Hevak and his family are royalty. Since I'm not of royal blood, we're not allowed to be together. When we refused to split, Creighton was outraged." She paused as if she were reliving a memory. I could feel the pain that she felt.

"He promised that he'd do everything in his power to separate us. When he tried to kill me, Hevak stopped him, risking his own life." Tears rolled down her face, but she smiled as she spoke, "I sacrificed half of my life to get his back. I didn't even think twice about it. We're simply meant to be with one another. If Creighton were to find out about him I wouldn't be able to get him back."

It wasn't till after she was done talking did I realize that my hand was rested on hers. I couldn't help but try to comfort her. She was almost like my mother. I couldn't hate her.

"I don't get it, Sara... If Creighton believes he killed his brother, then why did you have me believe that _you_ killed him?"

"Because, Creighton did something to me. He altered my thoughts so I would believe that I hated Hevak. What he neglected to acknowledge was that my father was the one who taught him how to do so. My father also taught me how to prevent those sort of attacks.

"The more I pretended that I had killed Hevak, the easier it was to hide his existence from his brother. When I learned Creighton had chosen you as a target, I knew there was something I had to do. I soon realized that he would be able to listen in on our conversations. Therefore, I gave you that little bit of false information." Sarathena gave me a sheepish look.

In a weird way, everything made a little more sense. I could understand why Sara would lie to me like that. I knew I would do that for Scott in a heartbeat.

_ Scott..._ _Will I ever see him again?_

The memory of Scott reminded me of that dreadful evening. Those haunting red eyes.

"Why did they come after us that night?" I made it a point not to be short with her. Part of me still trusted her, but not as much as I used to. Sara was like a mother to me. She stuck by my side even when things got out of hand. She was my guardian.

"I'm not quite sure. I think Creighton may be on to me. Now, that doesn't mean he knows Hevak is still alive, but he definitely is curious." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

I decided not to pressure her. I could tell that the thought of Creighton finding out about Hevak worried her. I gripped her hand a little tighter.

She smiled at me. "Cassie?" Her words were so soft, I thought I had imagined it. I lifted my head and met her gaze. "I'm sorry, my dear. From now on, I will tell you nothing but the truth."

She wiped the unknown tear from my cheek and smiled. "Thank you, Sara. I accept your apology."

"Is everything alright out here?" Hevak's head poked out from the door. He looked uneasy and worried. I felt bad for lashing out at him.

"We're fine. Thank you, my love." Sara smiled. I nodded and we made our way back into the house.

It was a little smaller than a mansion, and had no windows. The dining hall was magnificent. There were three crystal chandeliers hanging above the table, and paintings lining the walls. The moldings around the room told a story, as well as the mural on the ceiling.

As we were eating, Hevak told me tales of things greater than I could have imagined. Things that I had heard of only in fairy tales, he had seen. I envied his adventures. I envied his memories.

"I love your home, Hevak. It's very beautiful." I gazed adoringly at the crystal chandelier hanging above us.

Hevak scoffed. "This place is no home. It's a prison cell." Sara placed a tender hand on his arm. He placed his own hand over hers and gave her a smile. "What I would give to tear this place down..." Hevak brought Sara's hand to his mouth and gently kissed it.

"My sweet, you know you couldn't do that." I could see the sorrow that tinged her words.

I cleared my throat. "Is there something wrong?" I didn't get it. To live in such a beautiful mansion... Why would anyone want to tear it down?

"After Sara brought me back, we fled here. This place was used as a shelter for people like me. Just because we're immortal doesn't mean we can't be killed. It's difficult to do, but there are some of us who are willing to go that extra mile...

"My parents founded this place when we were much younger. We would spend hours a day making sure that the magic never wore off. When Creighton awoke, not all of his memory returned, so he doesn't recall the location of this place."

I leaned forward. "When Creighton awoke? What do you mean by that?"

"When my brother went after Sarathena, I asked Mhethias for his help-"

I cut him off. "Mhethias?"

Hevak gave me a confused look. "Has Sara not told you of him?" I shook my head in response. "Very well. Mhethias is the King of Immortals. My family has served him for many generations. My father was his second in command. He has ruled for generations upon generations. He rose to power in 1013 when his father passed on."

"But, wasn't his father immortal?" I felt stupid for asking, but something in me had to know.

"Yes, he was. His father was murdered. That's what pushed my parents into building this place." His demeanor changed as he spoke. "Mhethias agreed to help me, since my family had been so kind to him. He wiped Creighton's memory. Everything that linked Creighton with our family was erased and forgotten. The only thing that stayed was his hatred for Sara..." He smiled apologetically.

I tried my best to understand. I kept thinking about Brianna. Even though she wasn't my sister anymore, the thought of completely wiping her memory pained me. On some level, I understood Hevak's actions, but it was still upsetting.

"Earlier you said something about making sure the magic didn't wear off. What did you mean by that?"

"This mansion has a spell cast over it that makes it impossible to track. Once inside the secure perimeter, it's almost as if you've fallen off the face of the earth. Not even the best psychics the world has to offer can detect your thoughts here." He snickered. Hevak may have referred to this place as a prison, but in reality, it was keeping him safe.

As the night grew on, we conversed about many things. I laughed constantly as Sara would indulge on embarrassing stories about Hevak. Later, he would bring out salvaged photos of her as a young girl, and she would desperately try to snatch them away. It all seemed so lighthearted and fun, I had completely forgotten about everything. Brianna, Creighton, Scott... Everything.

I drearily crawled into bed close to midnight. I hadn't bothered to put on the set of pajamas Hevak had dug out for me. I sprawled out across my bed and sighed deeply. This was how it should be. Everything seemed so normal here. It seemed so... Peaceful. I smiled to myself as I remembered all the memories they had shared with me. As I drifted off to sleep, I wondered if I would be able to have my own.

_The stone was cold to my feet. The wind that whipped around me chilled my spine. My vision was too foggy to make anything out, but I could tell that I was in a room. My mind flashed to Hevak's mansion. Was I still there? _

_ After blinking a few times, I was finally able to take in my surroundings. I was in the corner of a dimly lit room; the only source of light came from a flickering candle placed upon a table near the center. I went to take a step forward, but froze. Something seemed... wrong. I wasn't alone._

_ "She's dead." Her voice drifted from the farthest corner of the room. I peered into the darkness, but gave up. I couldn't see anything in this light._

_ "Impossible." The man wearily scoffed at her._

_ "We can't get a reading on her. I saw her death, my lo-"_

_ "LIAR! She's not dead, you imbecile! If she were dead, then I'd be dead! Do you know nothing?" His voice ripped across the room and shook the air around us. "I told you to find her. Not to feed me lies."_

_ The room settled down for a moment, and I was able to make sense of the situation. Creighton sat at the table in the center of the room, with his face rested in his hands. He looked as though he hadn't slept in ages. In the far corner stood Brianna. She, herself, looked as tired as Creighton. Had they been looking for me?_

_ "Lord, I've been doing some research... There's a place up in the mountains; a mansion named Immortality's Grace. To my understanding, this place has been used to hide immortals for years. It blocks communication from the outside world; it goes so far as to block ones thoughts as well." Her tone rose as she finished her last sentence. _

_ Creighton looked up. Suddenly, he didn't look so tired. It was as if he were trying to remember a forgotten memory. Then it clicked. He whirled around to face Brianna and threw his arms open._

_ "Of course! Brianna, my dear, I never doubted you for a moment." His warming smile lit up the room. In the dim light I could see the sparkle in his deep brown eyes. His sunken cheeks made him look older than he should, but nonetheless breathtaking._

_ Breathtaking? What was I thinking?_

_ Within an instant, the air went still. Dead still. No one moved; no one spoke. Slowly, they both turned to face me. Panic started to set in when I realized I couldn't escape. I willed myself to wake up, but nothing happened. I stood there, terrified, not knowing whether I should run or await what I knew was coming._

_ "Maybe we should start heading out there immediately." Brianna's grin chilled my soul. It was the grin of a killer. The grin of someone who had died inside._

When I woke up, I realized that I had been screaming. I took a deep breath and attempted to calm myself down. I swung my legs off the side of the bed and stood up. That wasn't just a dream. There was just no way. My heart was still beating a mile a minute, but I didn't feel so helpless anymore. We weren't safe here anymore.

"Cassie!" Sara has barged into the room, surely alarmed by my spontaneous screams. "Cassie, are you alright?"

"We have to leave. Now."

She nodded, and without a word, we began to leave.


	11. Chapter 11

**Scott**

I wrapped the bracelet around my fingers over, and over. She was gone. Just like that. I glanced over at the window, and felt a knot form in my stomach. My eyes began to water. Why would she do this to me? It didn't make any sense. I thought things were alright between us.

Did this have something to do with her secret?

I thought about all the long talks we had over the years; all the time we spent together. Not once did I ever stop to think that there was more to Cassie than I knew.

I sprawled out across my bed, and continued to play with the bracelet. I wasn't sure whether I should be angry, or depressed. It wasn't like she lied to me.

_"You don't question everything she said to you?"_

I immediately sat upright. "Who's there?"

No reply. I waited a few more seconds before assuming I was hearing things. I laughed at how paranoid I had become.

_"She lied to you."_

This time I was sure I had heard something. I looked back over to the window. Nothing. I knew that I was alone in my room, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone- something else in the room.

Just when I had assured myself that I was fine, a figure appeared in my doorway. A young girl, it seemed. Her straight black hair fell down her back, but she didn't have a face. It was completely blank.

"Hello, Scott." I could hear the smile in her voice, but there was no expression on her face. Or lack thereof.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Never mind that. She lied to you, Scott. She lied to everyone. Cassie is the bad one, and you know it, don't you?" There was something familiar about that frightening ring to her voice, but I couldn't place my finger on it.

"Cassie would never lie to me." I spat the words with as much venom as I could muster. There was a little doubt in my voice, and I was almost certain she could detect it.

She began to walk closer to me, only she wasn't walking. More like gliding through the air. The closer she got, the more her facial features became visible. By the time she was directly in front of me, I knew exactly who it was.

I gasped. "Brianna."

"You're not as dumb as I thought you were. You know she lied to you, you're just not willing to admit it." Her sickeningly sweet smile made me want to vomit. "You must know the truth, Scott!" She shouted the words, as my room faded into darkness. I tried to scream, but no sound came.

_It wasn't long before everything was illuminated, and a vision came to me. There was Cassie, sitting next to my bed. But, this didn't look like my Cassie. This girl was evil. You could see it in her terrible grin. _

_ A small glint caught my eye, and I noticed that she was wielding a dagger. She was planning to kill me! But... Cassie... My Cassie... She wouldn't do that! _

_ I shook my head hard, trying to clear the image, but I couldn't. I sat there, and was forced to watch as she lifted her weapon directly over my heart. I felt sick. Part of me wanted to look away, and another part was determined to prove this wasn't real. But, I knew it was. I could feel it._

_ "Cassie! Cassie, stop!" The voice came from the doorway. There stood Brianna, breathing as hard as a cross-country runner. "You can't kill him, Cassie! Think rationally, please!"_

_ "What do you care, Brianna? He isn't even worth it." Her gaze refocused on me, and she went to plunge the dagger into my heart. Before she could make contact, Brianna grabbed her wrist. They both struggled, trying to be free of the other, but it was no use. _

_ Cassie threw Brianna to the ground, and stood over her with a nauseating smirk. I wanted so badly to knock Cassie aside, and save Brianna, but I couldn't. Cassie struck, but Brianna dodged, grabbing the knife, and turning it on her sister._

_ "Why are you trying to save him?" Cassie shouted._

_ "Because, I love him!" _

_ Cassie stood there, defeated. With a quick motion, she yanked the bracelet off her wrist and tossed it at Brianna. "Fine. He's your problem now." With that, she took off._

Coming out of the vision, I felt as though I had been hit by a truck. The truth of reality was too much, and I forced myself to lay back. A small hand rested on my knee, and I was reminded that Brianna was still in the room with me. I wasn't sure if I should believe what I had just seen. Why would Cassie do this?

"Because, you got in the way of her and Creighton."

"Don't read my thoughts, Brianna. It's invasive." I couldn't help but smile.

I sat up, and looked at her. Really looked at her. She looked so small, and fragile. But, I knew better. I had seen what she could do. Deep down, I knew there was something off here. I thought back to that day. The day she attacked Cassandra and me. The day I learned what they really are.

"Wait... if you're in love with me, why did you attack me?"

I could have sworn a look of terror flashed through her face, but it was gone too quickly for me to be certain. "Scott... I was trying to protect you from her." She attempted to hold back tears, but couldn't quite accomplish it. "I never meant to hurt you." Brianna began to sob into her hands as she repeated that she was sorry over, and over again.

Confused, I gently touched her shoulder, and gave her a sympathetic smile before letting her know it was alright. She looked up at me, and then down to my broken arm. She rested her hand on my cast, and it instantly split in two. I gawked at my bare arm, as I watched the bones shift and reset themselves. Brianna removed her hand, and placed it back in her lap.

I slowly picked my once broken arm up, and looked it over. It didn't even hurt. I flexed my fingers, and rotated my wrist. Nothing; not even a pinch. I looked back at Brianna, who has a shy smile in place of her cold one.

We sat there for hours as she told me all about who Cassie really was, and how she had been trying to stop her for years, but just couldn't. She spoke of Creighton, and how he had tried to help her, as well, but fell under Cassie's spell. She also talked about how she was scared she would never be able to help her sister.

I sat there and thought on my own, as she droned on. How could I have not known this? Cassie was my BEST friend, and I never noticed anything off. Looking back on memories, I was able to pick out all the times that should have given it away, but I was so naïve.

Brianna explained to me that she needed my help in stopping Cassandra. I would have to draw her out, and hopefully, we could put an end to her tirade. I wasn't too happy with the idea, but I felt obliged to help her. She did, however, save my life. Twice.

I wasn't sure what had happened, but a sudden calmness washed over me. For some reason, I felt at peace looking into her terrifyingly beautiful green eyes. I wasn't shocked when I held her hand in mine as she spoke. I wasn't shocked when she kissed me. I wasn't even shocked when I kissed her back.

As our lips parted, one thing was certain: I was going to stop Cassandra, and make Brianna happy.


End file.
